Coventry Airport
 

Anybody know whats happening at Coventry? there are lots of rumours that the company that run the field is about to go bust.

Mmm.. I've heard those rumours too, but no hard facts.

There are plenty of news reports, here are a couple:
BBC News - Airport facing wind-up petition

Coventry Telegraph - News - Coventry News - Coventry Airport: Solution must be found, say business leaders

Opening times over Xmas/New year.
 

Also have a look at Coventry Airports webbsite.

Basically closed for 8 days over christmas and new year.

Close 7pm 24th Dec - Re open 9am 2nd Jan.

With just 2 x 12hrs opening slots 1300-0100 on the 29th-30th Dec.

Supposed to have flown from there today. Had a call this am to say airport closed for at the least the rest of today. Operators winding up petition to be heard tomorrow. Concrete information hard to come by, some saying announcement later today, others that it's closed until further notice. Bummer!

The airport closed at 10am this morning. Operators were given only 5 minutes warning of the closure. Although the airport is NOTAM'd as being closed until 1200, none of us are expecting it to reopen today. When it does reopen, it will probably only be for remaining operators to remove aircraft elsewhere.

A very tragic turn of events.

Coventry is a fantastic airport with friendly ATC, an excellent flying club and other first rate schools and operators.

I sincerely hope that general aviation will still be able to use the site.
I remember my first solo from there as if were yesterday.

Let's hope that someone will keep it open rather than dig up the runway for an industrial estate.

I'm not an expert, but I believe there are some old covenents which state that it can ONLY be used as an airport. Sky News reckons it has shut, with 70 jobs going. There's some hope however, that this is just a bit of posturing before tomorrows winding up petition. If/when West Midlands Airport Authority go into liquidition, the lease will evidently automatically return to Coventry City Council which will hopefully keep it ticking over until a new lessee can be found.

I might be a bit behind the times here, but is Air Atlantique/Classic Flight still based there? Great airfield when I was last there, albeit more than a few years ago.

HMRC
 

The situation must be finacially severe for HMRC to present wind up notice. Liquidator appointed to sell off assets and realise as much 'hard cash' as possible. Not sure it would be quite as simple as the Council picking up the tab. They may however undertake to underwrite any debt, with the eventual outcome a buyer, but in these circumstances the sharks are patrolling the shoreline, with vultures overhead. Pick up a bargain as they say:bored:

There has been very little support for the Airport by the local authority and council, it's my personal opinion that their determined objection to the new terminal at Coventry was the final nail in the coffin.

Regardess of covenants, scripts written on parchments or whatever it may say in the Midlands Bill of Rights, I can't see Coventry reopening as a going concern.
It requires someone with £millions to clear the debts alone, but, as an airport that consistently proves it will never have enough commercial traffic to cover anything like the running costs due to continued opposition from local authorities, no one in their right mind is going to take it on.

I dare say that the local authorities who own the lease and the site will ensure that everyone who has any interest in the place will be "persuaded" to go elsewhere and that by this time next year it will be a business park.

Was speaking to an Air Atlantic caravan today operating up north. He was told by company to return to Birmingham due to the closure of the airfield. I understand negotiations are ongoing to get the airfield open for an hour so as to enable AAG to get their aircraft out!! ....:confused:

CVT should re-open later today as an unlicensed airfield. Not sure how long that status will remain for.



S78

I wonder how this will affect the Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, as it has it's base at Baginton. aka Coventry Airport?

It was on the news yesterday that the Air Ambo is still able to operate under special dispensation from CAA - which is what you would expect for an Emergency Service

Just heard that CVT ATC is operating but for departures only.

It's a fast moving situation at the moment, fingers crossed and best wishes to all you great guys at Coventry.

You have given me superb service in the past, hope you still can in the future.

NOTAM showing operating as un-licensed aerodrome until 2359hrs on 14th Dec (Monday night).

Does anyone have any information if the various flight training organisations will relocate or cease trading. I'm thinking here about Atlantic Flight Training, Coventry Aeroplane Club, AWA Flying Group?

Almat relocated some aircraft to Wellesbourne when it all blew up, but I think they harbour hopes of returning to Coventry asap.

I rang Coventry ATC this am and was told that they were open for today only for VFR departures, in order to allow based aircraft to leave the field.

I sincerely hope this gets resolved, but I suspect that unless something very dramatic happens, it's all over for Coventry Airport as it was with ATC, radar etc. Perhaps it'll survive as a GA field, but I wouldn't put money on it. I wish them all well, as I've always had a superb service from Coventry.:(