COVENTRY
Coventry closed?
Christmas Closures
23rd November 2009
Christmas Closures 2009-2010
Coventry Airport will be closing at 1930 hours on Thursday 24th December, re-opening at 0900 hours on Saturday 2nd January.
In between these two dates, the airport will be open from 1300 - 0100 hours on the 29th and 30th December.
do other airports close down for 5 out of 7 days?
bb
23rd November 2009
Christmas Closures 2009-2010
Coventry Airport will be closing at 1930 hours on Thursday 24th December, re-opening at 0900 hours on Saturday 2nd January.
In between these two dates, the airport will be open from 1300 - 0100 hours on the 29th and 30th December.
do other airports close down for 5 out of 7 days?
bb
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The 24th December is sadly the traditional day for sacking workers. I do hope that as many as possible find a new job in what is a very hard time. We need something new to employ people in the region.
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Not close enough to my aircraft !
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FACT - It NEEDS more industrial units and office space and hangarage but linked to the Cargo and GA industry. The airport is prime location, HAS got facilities available (Cat 'whatever' fire etc), all Nav aids and a longish runway.
What it hasn't got and has never had is a competent management team and anyone with the degree of sense to see how much they are going round with one foot nailed to the floor and continue to shoot themselves in the other one !
Total and utter incompetence, inability to make decisions, and devoid of any form of investment unless you call 'investing' so many millions in failed bids to overturn planning decisions.
CVT will only work for GA and Cargo..........QED ! Utilise it's strengths and correct the weaknesses and THEN there may be some grain of hope. When Mike Collett and co pull out and re locate, THAT is the time to start worrying !!
What it hasn't got and has never had is a competent management team and anyone with the degree of sense to see how much they are going round with one foot nailed to the floor and continue to shoot themselves in the other one !
Total and utter incompetence, inability to make decisions, and devoid of any form of investment unless you call 'investing' so many millions in failed bids to overturn planning decisions.
CVT will only work for GA and Cargo..........QED ! Utilise it's strengths and correct the weaknesses and THEN there may be some grain of hope. When Mike Collett and co pull out and re locate, THAT is the time to start worrying !!
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High Court winding-up order - 9th Dec
The petition was handed over to airport owners, West Midlands International Airport Ltd, on October 23 and a hearing is due to take place at London’s Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, December 9.
The application was made to the High Court by HM Revenue and Customs.
The application was made to the High Court by HM Revenue and Customs.
Good luck to those who may need to find something new to do.
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Sorry Covman.....Just completed the second redundancy round this week. No job vacancies at the moment. I don't think the Handling agents have anything either, they are in the same boat.
I suppose the hope is that someone else will come in. I'm not sure that the Airport can be wound up. West Midlands International Airport Ltd can be wound up. This would still leave the lease, owned by Coventry City Council, available for someone else.
The Council may bite the bullet and admit defeat and re-designate the land for other use.
At the end of the day who knows? One things for certain, we live in difficult times and anything could happen.
I do feel for all those employed within the airport and the associated companies, especially at this time of year. Good luck to all.
Covman. If I hear of anything going, I'll let you know.....What do you do at CVT?
I suppose the hope is that someone else will come in. I'm not sure that the Airport can be wound up. West Midlands International Airport Ltd can be wound up. This would still leave the lease, owned by Coventry City Council, available for someone else.
The Council may bite the bullet and admit defeat and re-designate the land for other use.
At the end of the day who knows? One things for certain, we live in difficult times and anything could happen.
I do feel for all those employed within the airport and the associated companies, especially at this time of year. Good luck to all.
Covman. If I hear of anything going, I'll let you know.....What do you do at CVT?
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Air Atlantique
If all goes horribly wrong, where would the the likes of Air Atlantique go? What's the size of their fleet these days?
East Midlands, Kemble, Dunsfold, Oxford, Manston......?
East Midlands, Kemble, Dunsfold, Oxford, Manston......?
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Very little Hangerage at EMA. What about Bruntingthorpe.
Soz to hear the plight of Cov. I find it amazing that the airport is shuting for 8 days over xmas with just two 12hrs openings on two days during this period.
So all the GA Aircraft have got move out if they want to operate over Xmas/New Year?
Soz to hear the plight of Cov. I find it amazing that the airport is shuting for 8 days over xmas with just two 12hrs openings on two days during this period.
So all the GA Aircraft have got move out if they want to operate over Xmas/New Year?
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Perhaps this might have some bearing on the debate about the closure of Coventry Airport.....then again maybe not
Back in early 90's when Coventry City Council sought to place the lease of the airport with a private company there was a great deal of negotiation with the staff about pay cuts and massive reductions to terms and conditions of employment. When the staff, quite understandably, baulked at the scale of the cuts the Councils initial tactic was to claim that if staff did not accept these changes prior to a TUPE transfer then the airport would close and be developed for housing and industry. The Council were adamant that the cuts had to be accepted, there was no more money available, or the 'threat' would be actioned.
After much investigation one of the unions found some information (not conclusive) that when Coventry City Council purchased the agricultural land for the new airport (before the war) and moved the AW factory from Whitley to Baginton a covenant had been placed upon the purchase of the land by the 'family' selling it. Apparently what the council purchased was the land surface for use as an aerodrome. It could not be used for any other purpose nor did they own the mineral rights.
During the negotiations requests for access to the paperwork for the purchase was denied to the union (pre data protection). However as soon as it was mentioned that the union were aware of its existance the Councils negotiating position changed dramatically over night, salaries were ring fenced and T&Cs were more sympathetically altered.
At the time they were busy redeveloping large tracts of airport land into a business park, which if there was a covenant, might have been a tad embarrassing. If the story about the covenant were true and the Councils dramatic change of heart seemed imply that this was something that they didn't want brought into the public domain, might this not have an impact upon what can, and cannot, be done with the site if it fails as an airport.
At the time the internet did not exist but today perhaps there is somebody out there with the knowledge and access to information to follow this up.
BLACK ART
Back in early 90's when Coventry City Council sought to place the lease of the airport with a private company there was a great deal of negotiation with the staff about pay cuts and massive reductions to terms and conditions of employment. When the staff, quite understandably, baulked at the scale of the cuts the Councils initial tactic was to claim that if staff did not accept these changes prior to a TUPE transfer then the airport would close and be developed for housing and industry. The Council were adamant that the cuts had to be accepted, there was no more money available, or the 'threat' would be actioned.
After much investigation one of the unions found some information (not conclusive) that when Coventry City Council purchased the agricultural land for the new airport (before the war) and moved the AW factory from Whitley to Baginton a covenant had been placed upon the purchase of the land by the 'family' selling it. Apparently what the council purchased was the land surface for use as an aerodrome. It could not be used for any other purpose nor did they own the mineral rights.
During the negotiations requests for access to the paperwork for the purchase was denied to the union (pre data protection). However as soon as it was mentioned that the union were aware of its existance the Councils negotiating position changed dramatically over night, salaries were ring fenced and T&Cs were more sympathetically altered.
At the time they were busy redeveloping large tracts of airport land into a business park, which if there was a covenant, might have been a tad embarrassing. If the story about the covenant were true and the Councils dramatic change of heart seemed imply that this was something that they didn't want brought into the public domain, might this not have an impact upon what can, and cannot, be done with the site if it fails as an airport.
At the time the internet did not exist but today perhaps there is somebody out there with the knowledge and access to information to follow this up.
BLACK ART
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Black Art
That's very interesting and I hope it is true. However, I understand that the land on which the airport stands was previously used as Coventry's sewage farm before it was developed as an airport so I'm not sure.
Might also be worth pointing out that it is the airport operator WMAL who are in danger of going under. If they do I would assume that their lease on the airport would revert to Coventry City Council who have been fully supportive of the airport during the twists and turns of recent years.
Fingers crossed for all concerned.
That's very interesting and I hope it is true. However, I understand that the land on which the airport stands was previously used as Coventry's sewage farm before it was developed as an airport so I'm not sure.
Might also be worth pointing out that it is the airport operator WMAL who are in danger of going under. If they do I would assume that their lease on the airport would revert to Coventry City Council who have been fully supportive of the airport during the twists and turns of recent years.
Fingers crossed for all concerned.
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Hi wetx3
Only a small part of the land was the sewage farm (roughly where the tower and fire stn are now).
Really posted the info about the covenant to point out, to contributors, that it may not be as simple as closing the site and redeveloping it. Which some people are advocating.
BLACK ART
Only a small part of the land was the sewage farm (roughly where the tower and fire stn are now).
Really posted the info about the covenant to point out, to contributors, that it may not be as simple as closing the site and redeveloping it. Which some people are advocating.
BLACK ART
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This is interesting regarding the covenant. But I would think that it would be a private agreement/contract between the orignal seller and the purchaser, and not enforceable by anyone else. The purchaser cov cc are still around, but the original seller? I doubt if they are around, or if they are do they have the inclination to enforce it?
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There doesn't seem to be any evidence of the Covenant. I would have thought a great deal would have been made of it during the failed planning application...
I always though it was a condition of the lease given by the City Council. If they decide that enough is enough and want the money they can change it via the normal Council procedures.
I always though it was a condition of the lease given by the City Council. If they decide that enough is enough and want the money they can change it via the normal Council procedures.
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Coventry airport closed by operators WMIAL 1000 today. Atlantic Airlines flew everything out last night. Possibly training schools may be allowed to fly their aircraft out - by instructors - and possibly Mike Collett may be stepping in to take over but all maybe's.
Surprised this has happened 24 hrs ahead of insolvency petition in the High Court but possibly WMIAL have thrown in the towel now expecting a foregone conclusion.
Surprised this has happened 24 hrs ahead of insolvency petition in the High Court but possibly WMIAL have thrown in the towel now expecting a foregone conclusion.