Coventry Airport

Coventry Airport
IATA: CVT – ICAO: EGBE
Summary
Airport type		Public
Owner		CAFCO
Operator		Marshall Aerospace
Serves		Coventry
Location		Baginton
Elevation AMSL		267 ft / 81 m
Coordinates		52°22′21″N 001°28′47″W / 52.3725°N 1.47972°W / 52.3725; -1.47972 (Coventry Airport)Coordinates: 52°22′21″N 001°28′47″W / 52.3725°N 1.47972°W / 52.3725; -1.47972 (Coventry Airport)
Website		www.coventryairport.co.uk
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	m	ft
05/23	2,008	6,586	Asphalt
Helipads
Number	Length		Surface
	m	ft
H1	100	328	Grass
Statistics (2007)
Movements			54,925
Passengers			599,149
Sources: UK AIP at NATS[1] Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority[2]

Coventry Airport (IATA: CVT, ICAO: EGBE) is located 3 NM (5.6 km; 3.5 mi)^[1] south southeast of Coventry city centre, in the village of Baginton, Warwickshire, England, and about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) outside Coventry boundaries. Coventry Airport was a hub for Thomsonfly. The airport is owned by CAFCO (Coventry) Limited, a joint venture between Howard Holdings plc^[3] and Convergence-AFCO Holdings Limited (CAFCOHL), and in June 2007 had its application to build permanent terminal and passenger facilities turned down by the UK government.

Coventry Aerodrome has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P834) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee (West Midlands International Airport Limited trading as Coventry Airport).^[4]

On 8 December 2009, the CAA announced that the airport was closed with immediate effect, following the filing of a Notice to Airmen by the owners.^[5]

History

Creation and growth

In 1933 Coventry City Council decided to develop a civic airport on land that they owned to the south-east of the city in Baginton. Coventry Airport was opened in 1936. Armstrong Whitworth, aircraft manufacturers based nearby at Whitley Aerodrome, built an aircraft factory on the airport site soon afterwards.

During World War II the airport was utilised as a fighter station, RAF Baginton, by the Royal Air Force, and was damaged in the Luftwaffe bombing of Coventry in 1940.

After the war the airport was returned to civil use as a passenger and freight terminal. In the 1950s Jersey Airlines operated De Havilland Heron and Douglas Dakota aircraft on services to the Channel Islands.^[6] In the 1960s British United Airways flew Dakota, Carvair (which also carried passengers' cars) and Handley Page Heralds to the Channel Islands.^[7] During the 1980s West Midlands based travel agents Hards Travel started using the Airport with its Viscount and Dart Herald aircraft for holidays to Spain, Italy and Austria, flying to Beauvais in France and Ostend Airport, operating under the Janus Airways banner. The holiday brands they used were Summer-Plan, and HTS Holidays. In the late-1980s, Coventry City Council sold the airport lease to Air Atlantique.

Papal visit

Pope John Paul II visited the airport on 30 May 1982 as part of his six-day visit to Britain. He arrived in a gold and blue helicopter, and just after 10.00 a.m. he set off in a popemobile from the helipad to visit a crowd of about 350,000 people. He gave a sacrament, and there was a carnival when he had lunch. He left in the helicopter at about 3.15 p.m..^[8]

Live veal calf export

From 5 November 1994 to 4 May 1995 live veal calves were exported from Coventry Airport to Amsterdam for distribution across Europe, and the locality became a focus for animal rights demonstrators. On 21 December 1994 Air Algérie Flight 702P, a Boeing 737, used for exporting calves crashed in Willenhall Wood, Willenhall, Coventry near to houses, on approach to the airport in bad weather, and all five people on board were killed.^[9] The aircraft was owned by Air Algerie and on lease to Phoenix Aviation. On 1 February 1995, Jill Phipps, an animal rights activist aged 31 years, was crushed to death under the wheels of a lorry carrying live veal calves into Coventry Airport.^[10]

Scheduled jet flights

In February 2004 the airport lease was sold to TUI AG, who started scheduled international flights from a temporary passenger terminal building in March 2004 under the brand Thomsonfly using two Boeing 737s. The operation drew vociferous opposition from environmental campaigners, some local residents and Warwick District Council, but was supported by Coventry City Council.^[11] Warwick District Council unsuccessfully sought an injunction to stop flights, claiming that the temporary facilities were built without planning permission.^[12] Flights expanded through the following years, while the airport sought planning permission for a permanent passenger terminal and facilities. Thomsonfly expanded operations with more European flights and up to six aircraft based at the airport, while WizzAir also began regular flights to Poland.

After planning permission for a permanent passenger terminal was initially denied by Warwick District Council in 2004, two public inquiries took place, followed by an unsuccessful appeal by the airport owners to the UK government planning inspectorate, and finally to the High Court in 2008.^[13] The planning battle affected the confidence of flight operators. On 1 September 2008, Wizz Air confirmed they would not continue their seasonal service from Coventry to Gdansk and Katowice. On 15 October 2008, Thomsonfly confirmed that they would cease operations at Coventry Airport, citing their increased focus on charter services after their the merger with First Choice Airways. Scheduled passenger flights from Coventry ended on 9 November 2008.^[14] The airport continued with cargo operations, and was a base for executive jet services, general aviation and flight training, and the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance.^[15]

In May 2009, Coventry Airport was put up for sale.^[16] The owners outsourced security, and also Air Traffic Control to Marshall Aerospace. On 1 December 2009, it was reported that a petition was made by HM Revenue & Customs in the High Court to wind up the company,^[17] to the concern of local businesses.^[18] A hearing is due to take place at London’s Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, 9 December 2009.^[19]

On 8 December 2009, it was announced that the airport was to close with immediate effect with the loss of 70 jobs.^[20]

Future Papal visit

As part of Pope Benedict XVI's planned visit to Britian in September 2010 a proposal has been made for the centerpiece of the visit, the Beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, to take place at the airport, folloing the success of the 1982 visit of Pope John Paul II.^[21]

Accidents and incidents

• On 21 December 1994 a Phoenix Aviation Boeing 737^[22] aircraft crashed in Willenhall Wood on approach to Coventry. Five crew were killed.^[9]
• On 17 August 2008, five people were killed when two light aircraft collided on their final approach into Coventry Airport.^[23] The aircraft involved were a Cessna 402C and a Rand KR-2.^[24]

Gallery

Two Thomsonfly Boeing 737s and a Farnair Suiss on the ground

A Thomsonfly Boeing 737 landing

Control tower

Radar equipment

References

A Visitor's Guide to the Midland Air Museum. Midland Air Museum. 1983. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Coventry Airport

• Coventry Airport homepage
• Current weather for EGBE at NOAA/NWS
• Accident history for CVT at Aviation Safety Network

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