RAF Baginton

Coventry Airport
IATA: CVT ICAO: EGBE
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Rigby Group PLC
Operator	Coventry Airport Ltd.
Serves	Coventry
Location	Baginton, Warwickshire, England
Elevation AMSL	267 ft / 81 m
Coordinates	52°22′21″N 001°28′47″W / 52.37250°N 1.47972°W / 52.37250; -1.47972Coordinates: 52°22′21″N 001°28′47″W / 52.37250°N 1.47972°W / 52.37250; -1.47972
Website	www.coventryairport.co.uk
Map
EGBE Location in Warwickshire
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 05/23 2,008 6,586 Asphalt
Helipads
Number Length Surface m ft H1 100 328 Grass
Statistics (2009)
Movements 51,147 Movement Change 07-09 6.87% Passengers 167 Passenger Change 07-09 99.97%
Sources: UK AIP at NATS Statistics from the UK Civil Aviation Authority

Movements	51,147
Movement Change 07-09	6.87%
Passengers	167
Passenger Change 07-09	99.97%

Coventry Airport (IATA: CVT, ICAO: EGBE) is located 3 NM (5.6 km; 3.5 mi) south southeast of Coventry city centre, in the village of Baginton, Warwickshire, England, and about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) outside Coventry boundaries. The airport is owned by Patriot Aviation Group, and has a CAA Ordinary Licence (Number P902) that allows flights for the public transport of passengers or for flying instruction as authorised by the licensee, Coventry Airport Limited.

First opened in 1936 as Baginton Aerodrome, Coventry Airport has been used for general aviation, flight training, and commercial freight and passenger flights, as well as being a World War II fighter airfield. In 1994-5, it became a focus for animal rights campaigners who protested at the export of live animals from the airport as freight. In 1982, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass with a crowd of around 350,000 on his only UK visit. From 2004 to 2008, Thomsonfly operated scheduled jet passenger flights from temporary hub facilities at Coventry. A controversial plan to build permanent passenger terminal facilities was rejected by the High Court in 2007. Following financial problems, the airport was briefly closed in 2009, before re-opening as a commercial airport in 2010.

In 1933 Coventry City Council decided to develop a civil airport on land that it owned to the south-east of the city in Baginton. Coventry Airport was opened in 1936. Armstrong Whitworth, a aircraft manufacturer 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. It was damaged in the 1940 Coventry Blitz bombing raid by the Luftwaffe.