Coventry Airport closes its doors forever

[Aviador]

The 90 year aviation history of Coventry Airport (EGBE) has drawn to a permanent close, after the airfield officially shut its gates yesterday, (Thursday 11 June 2026). Following the mandate by site owners Rigby Group, all remaining flight schools, private tenants, and the local Air Ambulance service vacated the Baginton aerodrome in May, paving the way for the CAA to formally remove the airspace from the UK register. In a poetic final send-off, the airport's last ever commercial passenger flight touched down on Friday 5 June carrying the pop group "Take That" during their current UK tour, with the band pausing to take a final commemorative photograph with the ground crew on the tarmac. It's hard to believe it was once a thriving base for Thomson/TUI.

 

[jfy1999]

To mark the closure, the Coventry Society has written a brief history of the airport:

Baginton Aerodrome to Close - Coventry Society

Article about the history of Coventry Aerodrome from its establishment in 1935 to the present when it is scheduled for closure in June 2026.

www.coventrysociety.org.uk

 

[Silvercity]

I flew via Coventry once, on an Airline called Air Atlantique, they had network of services in the UK to the Channel Islands. I flew from Liverpool to Guernsey via Coventry on a Metroliner. Enjoyable little flight. They also served Gloucester/ Staverton.

 

[jfy1999]

I flew via Coventry once, on an Airline called Air Atlantique, they had network of services in the UK to the Channel Islands. I flew from Liverpool to Guernsey via Coventry on a Metroliner. Enjoyable little flight. They also served Gloucester/ Staverton.

They are still with us today but became an all cargo airline- Atlantic Airlines - and then became their present day incarnation, West Atlantic.

 

[Silvercity]

Coventry Airport in pictures

Coventry Airport has hosted royalty, celebrities, and a Papal visit since it opened in the 1930s.

www.bbc.co.uk

Im surprised no one else from this Forum has not flown from Coventry or has memories.

 

[Nethercote2019]

I’ve many happy memories of CVT going as a youngster to see a Connie and a fireman saw me looking & took me over for a close up, I also remember the Bristol freighter flights at weekends to Ostend plus BMA viscounts to Jersey on Saturdays. I flew on a Dakota to Norwich, dragon rapide, dehavilland dove and Thomsonfly 737 plus a few flights in Cessna 172 plus a Sunday lunch on DC6 !
A very friendly airfield such a shame it’s gone

 

[rollo]

Coventry Airport in pictures

Coventry Airport has hosted royalty, celebrities, and a Papal visit since it opened in the 1930s.

www.bbc.co.uk

Im surprised no one else from this Forum has not flown from Coventry or has memories.

I have many memories of Baginton notably the Kings Cup Air races back in the dim and distant. Two things that have always stuck in the memory are watching a lightning take off and it's vertical climb out surpassed by a superb display by a Avro Vulcan of agility for such a large aircraft.along the roar of the engines which of course later were to power Concorde. Back in the day you could just walk into the hangers. Baginton was a great and a interesting airfield sadly missed from my point of view.

Also some time ago went to Cov. and dined in the DC6 converted into a diner called Six the aircraft was great the food well let's say average

Down the road at RAF Gaydon they held fantastic annual displays but thats another story.

 

[pianokeys]

I have many memories of Baginton notably the Kings Cup Air races back in the dim and distant. Two things that have always stuck in the memory are watching a lightning take off and it's vertical climb out surpassed by a superb display by a Avro Vulcan of agility for such a large aircraft.along the roar of the engines which of course later were to power Concorde. Back in the day you could just walk into the hangers. Baginton was a great and a interesting airfield sadly missed from my point of view.

Also some time ago went to Cov. and dined in the DC6 converted into a diner called Six the aircraft was great the food well let's say average

Down the road at RAF Gaydon they held fantastic annual displays but thats another story.

I would certainly echo the nostalgia noted by others. The first time I visited Baginton, which was the local nearby village, was likely the middle to late 60s going into the early 70s. It was a treasure trove of piston engined types. It’s true as Rollo says, security was pretty non existent in those far off days. Every Saturday me and a mate used to catch the bus from Brum and walk into Coventry City centre and catch the bus to the airfield. The hangers were usually open but we also asked if we could look around inside, usually from a guy with his head buried in an engine……….’just look around and don’t touch anything’. Shackleton Aviation (I think, it was 50+ years ago !) had a busy set up their and some pretty exotic stuff used to pass through, Doves (ST-AAC/E), a Zambian reg Aero Commander ( 9J-RGD ?) from memory and many many others. There were quite a few biplanes as well.
When cargo company Ace Freighters wound up they parked a number of their Connies at COV (G-ANTF, G-ALAK/L),
probably the ones mentioned by Nethercote 2019, and we walked all over them and inside ! There was their DC-4 too (G-APEZ). One particular rare visitor was an Angolan DC-3 (A2-ADL) for attention. I rode the 25 mile round trip by bike just for that !
I flew twice from Baginton. First time was in a PA-28 (G-AWEZ) flown by a neighbour David Morgan, who at that time had connections to ELO and more recently in a helicopter experience for a birthday surprise (G-DOFY). I dare say the closure of the airspace at COV may be welcomed by the ATCOs at BHX coordinating arrivals and departures ! A sad loss to us older enthusiasts for sure.
If anyone likes looking at pictures of these ‘old birds’ then I can thoroughly recommend CLASSIC PROPS IN CAMERA by Mike Hooks, fantastic quality pictures. Available as I write on EBAY.