Coventry Airport to close in 2026 for gigafactory

Coventry Airport is due to close next year, its operators have confirmed, for the development of a multimillion-pound advanced manufacturing site.

The Rigby Group said the ceasing of runway operations at the Baginton site would enable the next phase of building work to begin for Greenpower Park, the location of a proposed battery gigafactory.

The BBC has seen a letter sent to some tenants, telling them they have to leave by 9 May, with the closure set for 11 June 2026.

Greenpower Park is a joint venture between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport and received a £23m funding boost from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) in January.

A spokesperson from the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said: "Coventry Aerodrome has given formal notice to us of its plan to close the airport permanently with effect from 11 June 2026."

Speaking about the airport's notice to the CAA, the Rigby Group statement said: "This procedural submission, first envisaged when local planning approval for Green Power Park was granted in 2022, enables the next phase of infrastructure work for the site to proceed."

It said the WMCA funding supported the first phase of development, which will focus on installing a 30 MVA power supply to service future occupiers.

It added runway operations would be phased out in line with the "approved infrastructure delivery schedule", and airspace surrounding the airport removed.

Warwick District Council said the land in the airport which lies in the Warwick district boundary was included in the planning permission for the gigafactory.

A statement said: "For this three reserved matters applications have been submitted, two of which are to be presented to the council's planning committee next week for determination. The third will be considered early in the new year."

Jim O'Boyle, the councillor responsible for jobs and regeneration at Coventry City Council, said: "What we want to see are thousands of jobs created on here, giving the area an economic lift."

He said there was a huge space at the airport, which was "not being properly utilised" and there was now an opportunity to benefit the wider area.

The Air Ambulance Service is among organisations currently operating out of the airport.

A spokesperson reassured the public that the planned closure would "not impact the vital work" of charity in the area.

They said: "We have been working closely with Coventry Airport owners and the Civil Aviation Authority to ensure our missions can continue to fly from Coventry Airport after other operations cease."

The service said the situation was "temporary" and plans were underway for it to construct a new airbase.

"[It] will allow us to maintain the highest standards of care, provide appropriate facilities for our crews, and continue delivering rapid lifesaving services.

"We will share more detail as soon as we are able to in the new year and want to thank everyone for the support which makes sure we are there for those that need us every day."

Fight schools, Coventry Aeroplane Club and Nimrod Preservation group would also be impacted - as well as the Midlands Air Museum.

Barry James, chairman and curator of the museum, said the closure did not affect it since it had "a very long lease".

He added, however: "It is a loss to the region but I know the loss of jobs at the airport has been an issue for a number of years."

Steve Clark from AeroTech, an aircraft maintenance company based at the airport, said the announcement was not a big shock and had "been on the cards for quite some time".

He said he believed property developers were looking at a number of airport sites.

But he said he was disappointed all the same and the company had been looking for a new location.

Located within the West Midlands Investment Zone, Greenpower Park is expected to support thousands of new jobs across the region, said the WMCA.

Sited within the proposed Coventry and Warwick Gigapark, it received planning permission for a large-scale battery manufacturing facility in 2022.

Planning consent for the so-called gigafactory was due to expire last March, after difficulty securing an investor.

The BBC has contacted Coventry City Council and the WMCA for comment on the latest plans.

Financial problems previously forced previous airport owners West Midlands International Airport to close the airport in December 2009, after which it was acquired by the Rigby Group.

Passenger flights from the site ceased in 2008, but it continued to be used for business and freight flights.

In reports on Companies House for the year ending in March, Regional & City Airports Holdings Limited — a subsidiary of the Rigby Group — reported a £662,000 loss after tax for the year, a downturn compared to the £5.28m profit recorded the previous year.

On 4 July 2025, the company agreed to sell Regional & City Airports Group Limited and all its subsidiaries — including Bournemouth, Exeter and Norwich airports — to Intermediate Capital Group PLC, leaving Coventry as its sole trading airport.

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