Its final flight will take off on May 6.

17:32, Thu, Apr 30, 2026 Updated: 17:37, Thu, Apr 30, 2026

Aerial view of Coventry Airport

Coventry Airport will cease operations on June 11 (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

A UK airport is due to close in just over a month's time to make way for a multimillion-pound advanced manufacturing site. The UK Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that Coventry Airport will cease operations on June 11 with its final flight taking off on May 6.

Originally called Baginton Aerodrome the Midlands Airport first opened in 1936 and operated as an RAF base during World War II. A spokesperson from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said: "Coventry Aerodrome has given formal notice to us of its plan to close the airport permanently with effect from 11 June 2026." The land is slated for demolition to pave the way for Greenpower Park, a large-scale battery production plant, or “gigafactory,” intended to support the UK’s shift toward electric vehicles.

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Coventry Airport

The final flight will take off on May 6 (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Speaking about the airport's notice to the CAA, the Rigby Group statement said: "This procedural submission, first envisaged when local planning approval for Green Power Park was granted in 2022, enables the next phase of infrastructure work for the site to proceed."

Jim O'Boyle, the councillor responsible for jobs and regeneration at Coventry City Council, said: "What we want to see are thousands of jobs created here, giving the area an economic lift."

Over the past 90 decades, it has handled freight, light aircraft, and occasional commercial flights. During the 80s Hards Travel flew travellers to Spain, France, Italy and Austria as part of package holidays.

Coventry Airport in July 2006

Coventry Airport in July 2006 (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

In 2004, Thomsonfly began flights to popular sun destinations such as Palma, Valencia, Rome, Nice, Marseille, Naples, Pisa, Venice, and Jersey. Wizz Air also flew passengers to Gdańsk and Katowice.

However on September 1 2008, Wizz Air confirmed it would not continue its seasonal service from Coventry to Gdańsk and Katowice. In a further setback for the airport, Thomsonfly confirmed on 15 October 2008 that it would cease operations at Coventry Airport, citing a shift in focus toward charter services following its merger with First Choice Airways.

Coventry Airport also played host to a Papal visit in 1982, when Pope John Paul II toured the UK and drew an estimated 350,000 people to the site.

In May 2009, Coventry Airport was put up for sale and Sir Peter Rigby's Rigby Group took over ownership on April 28 2010 and it fully reopened later that year.