Coventry Airport: Difference between revisions
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On 8 December 2009, it was announced that the airport was to close with immediate effect.<ref name=Skybreaking>{{cite web|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Coventry-Airport-To-Close-With-Immediate-Effect-Making-70-People-Redundant/Article/200912215495921?lpos=Business_Carousel_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15495921_Coventry_Airport_To_Close_With_Immediate_Effect%2C_Making_70_People_Redundant |title=Coventry Airport To Close Immediately |publisher=Sky News |accessdate=8 December 2009}}</ref> |
On 8 December 2009, it was announced that the airport was to close with immediate effect.<ref name=Skybreaking>{{cite web|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Business/Coventry-Airport-To-Close-With-Immediate-Effect-Making-70-People-Redundant/Article/200912215495921?lpos=Business_Carousel_Region_3&lid=ARTICLE_15495921_Coventry_Airport_To_Close_With_Immediate_Effect%2C_Making_70_People_Redundant |title=Coventry Airport To Close Immediately |publisher=Sky News |accessdate=8 December 2009}}</ref> |
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Due to the aformentioned sudden closure, numerous student pilots were severely inconvenienced in the air and forced to divert to other suitable airfields, East Midlands was unable to accomodate this and so, Birmingham was the most viable option. Thankfully, the student pilots were proffesional enough to accomodate the route alteration with ease. |
Due to the aformentioned sudden closure, numerous student pilots were severely inconvenienced in the air and forced to divert to other suitable airfields, East Midlands was unable to accomodate this and so, Birmingham was the most viable option. Thankfully, the student pilots were proffesional enough to accomodate the route alteration with ease, however they cannot spell very well. |
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==Accidents and incidents== |
==Accidents and incidents== |
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Revision as of 15:49, 8 December 2009
Coventry Airport | |||||||||||
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| File:Coventry Airport logo.png | |||||||||||
| 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 / 52.37250°N 1.47972°W | ||||||||||
| Website | www.coventryairport.co.uk | ||||||||||
| Runways | |||||||||||
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| Helipads | |||||||||||
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| Statistics (2007) | |||||||||||
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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, it was announced that the airport was to close with immediate effect. This was due to the owners, West Midlands Airport Ltd being subject to a winding-up petition by the Inland Revenue at the High Court.
History
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.[5] In the 1960s British United Airways flew Dakota, Carvair (which also carried passengers' cars) and Handley Page Heralds to the Channel Islands.[6] 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.
Lease
In late-1980s, Coventry City Council sold the airport lease to Air Atlantique.
In February 2004 the lease was sold to TUI AG, who started scheduled flights from the airport in March 2004 under the brand Thomsonfly. The new service was controversial because it operated out of new temporary passenger facilities built without planning permission. Warwick District Council lost a court action in which it attempted to get an injunction against Thomsonfly. The result was that the service was allowed to continue.[7]
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]
Departure of Thomsonfly
Coventry airport was a hub for Thomsonfly. In October 2008 Thomsonfly announced that they would end all operations from Coventry by November 2008. The departure of Thomsonfly meant that Coventry airport was no longer served by scheduled services. The final Thomsonfly flight was on 9 November 2008.[11]
Closure
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On 15 October 2008, Thomsonfly confirmed that they would cease operations at Coventry Airport due to the blocked attempts to build a new terminal at the airport and they are focusing more on charter services since the merger with First Choice Airways; flights ended on 9 November 2008.[11] The airport has stated, however, that they are trying to persuade another carrier to launch scheduled operations from the airport. In May 2009 Coventry Airport was put up for sale again.[12]
On 1 September 2008, Wizz Air confirmed they would not be continuing the seasonal service from Coventry to Gdansk and Katowice both in Poland. This was because Coventry Airport did not get planning permission for a new terminal.[citation needed]
In May 2009, Coventry Airport was put up for sale.[13] Coventry City Council said "Coventry Airport must be kept for public use." Now Coventry Airport seriously want a scheduled Airline which doesn't fly to Birmingham International Airport 13 miles on the same road and East Midlands Airport. There are more details at www.coventryairport.co.uk.[citation needed]
On 20 May 2009 Marshall Aerospace took Air Traffic Control operations at Coventry Airport. The Airport still had cargo operations.[citation needed]
On 1 December 2009, the Coventry Telegraph reported that a petition has been made by the HM Revenue & Customs in the High Court to wind up the company. A hearing is due to take place at London’s Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, 9 December 2009.[citation needed]
On 8 December 2009, it was announced that the airport was to close with immediate effect.[14]
Due to the aformentioned sudden closure, numerous student pilots were severely inconvenienced in the air and forced to divert to other suitable airfields, East Midlands was unable to accomodate this and so, Birmingham was the most viable option. Thankfully, the student pilots were proffesional enough to accomodate the route alteration with ease, however they cannot spell very well.
Accidents and incidents
- On 21 December 1994 a Phoenix Aviation Boeing 737[15] 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.[16] The aircraft involved were a Cessna 402C and a Rand KR-2.[17]
Gallery
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two Thomsonfly Boeing 737's are on the ground alos a Farnair Suiss -
A Thomsonfly Boeing 737 landing -
Control tower -
Radar equipment
References
- ^ a b Coventry - EGBE
- ^ UK Airport Statistics: 2007 - annual
- ^ www.howardholdings.com
- ^ Civil Aviation Authority Aerodrome Ordinary Licences
- ^ "Baginton (Coventry) airport History-page 2".
- ^ "Baginton-Coventry airport".
- ^ "Council drops airport court case". BBC. 2004-06-18.
- ^ Douglas, Alton (1991). Coventry: A Century of News. Coventry Evening Telegraph. pp. 114–115. ISBN 0902464361.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ a b "Aeroplane crash dead remembered". BBC. 21 December 2004. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
- ^ "Live exports that sparked protests". BBC. Retrieved 2007-03-13.
- ^ a b "Passenger flights end at Coventry". BBC News Online. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ^ "Coventry Airport For Sale". Retrieved 2009-05-11.
- ^ "Coventry Airport: Solution must be found, say business leaders". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ^ "Coventry Airport To Close Immediately". Sky News. Retrieved 8 December 2009.
- ^ "Phoenix plane crashes near houses in Coventry". Jill Phipps. Retrieved 2008-08-18.
- ^ "Five killed as two planes collide". BBC. 17 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-17.
- ^ "PRESS STATEMENT" (pdf). Air Accidents Investigation Branch. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
"A Visitor's Guide to the Midland Air Museum". Midland Air Museum. 1983. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
External links
- Coventry Airport homepage
- Current weather for EGBE at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for CVT at Aviation Safety Network
