Old man Rigby, was a keen aviator. But handed over the empire to his son to run, who isn't an aviation admirer.
Sold the airports it owned, sold the air ambulance company it owned.

200? Since 1985? Really? i don't think that it's anywhere near that number. I can only think of a few.

Unless you count the ones used by the 8th Air Force

I used to fly in and out of Coventry on private jets very meany years go (like 25 years). One was to/from Genoa and the other was to Pittsburgh via Newark. It was originally hoped that US Immigration would be done at Pittsburgh allowing the flight to go direct, but Pittsburgh stopped doing international arrivals.

It was quicker and easier to get to Genoa this way as there were no direct flights and changing means it took the entire day to get there - rather than a couple of hours. The little jet ended up being like a bus for some people who went out and back several times a week.

The longer journey to Pittsburgh was set up so the Board could say we had a US HQ and that the board was based there when in fact they still lived in the UK and went when needed. I recall (maybe incorrectly) that the Pittsburgh aircraft was actually ordered by an investor of Planet Hollywood, who cancelled at the last minute and the company picked up the order at short notice. The only thing left on the aircraft that gave away its original owner was a small sign above the door which said " I'll be back"

https://metro.co.uk/2025/12/04/uk-ai...ears-25140077/

A sad end

Last day of operations on the 9th with the airport closing on the 11th

Have the two Dakotas departed?

The last commercial flight was operated by G-TAJB EC145 carrying the pop group Take That on June 6th as shown in the link below.
Note the slight correction at the end of the article!

Final Coventry flight

N341A went to Halfpenny Green, don't know about the other

Closure
 

A few memories from CVT

Had a meal in the DC6 Diner one December which was a novelty, landed on runway 23 as a passenger during a trial lesson in 2015, the two most noticeable aspects were how short the flight was at 20 minutes and how cramped the Grob is, young lad piloting it was well over 6ft and could barely see out over his knees :). Then in my younger days getting the train and bus over to CVT and having to walk the last mile or two to get to the airfield. I think I did drive once to see the Thomsonfly operation but haven't been for years.

Always sad to see an airfield go but these last few years it was a shadow of itself.

Pete

I worked as an ATCO at Coventry after retiring from Jersey in 2007. Due to a medical issue, my time there ended in Autumn 2008. I would like to put on record my admiration of the ATC staff at Coventry during that period. A harder working, more professional bunch of people would be impossible to find. For me, the wonders of Class G airspace & the proximity of Birmingham Airport were real eye openers - & made me appreciate the Coventry ATCOs even more. Sorry to see the aerodrome go.

Dakota
 

Per another Forum the other one left tonight for Sywell.

Pete

Thanks.