Take That become last-ever commercial passengers to arrive at Coventry Airport
British pop group Take That have made history by becoming the last commercial passengers to fly into Coventry Airport (CVT), just days ahead of its permanent closure on 11 June.
Landing at the airport by helicopter before performing in the city as part of a UK-wide tour, the band posed for photographs with airport staff before departing the airport by road.
Take That become Coventry Airport’s final passengers after 90 years
On the evening of 6 June, the three current members of the highly successful pop band Take That (Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard Donald) arrived at Coventry Airport by helicopter from Elstree Aerodrome (ETR) near London.
The band had performed earlier that afternoon at Wembley Stadium in north London as part of the Capital Radio Summertime Ball and were heading back to complete a three-night run at Coventry’s CBS Arena, the home of Coventry City Football Club.
Having ended their set at the Summertime Ball at around 16:30 local time, the group made their way to nearby Elstree Aerodrome, where they boarded a helicopter for Coventry Airport.
Having arrived at the airport at around 18:30, the band were later on stage at the CBS Arena at 20:30, completing the latest round of their ‘Circus Live 2026’ tour.
Having landed at the airport, the band posed for photographs with staff from the airport’s fire and rescue service.
According to a tongue-in-cheek social media post by Coventry Airport, “Those nice gentlemen from Take That flew into Coventry Airport this evening, and when they found out that they were our last ever passengers on our last booked commercial flight before closing, they insisted on a photograph with the ground crew to mark the occasion.”
“Normally, the ground crew would turn down such a request as we don’t like people using our image to further their careers, but, on this special occasion, and because they asked nicely, we agreed. Thank you to Take That for taking some time from their busy schedule to talk to the crew, allow a photo and for wishing us all the best for the future.”
The end of an era for Coventry Airport
The airport will finally close its doors and shut its runway on 11 June after 90 years of continuous operations. Having more recently seen flights operated by commercial airlines such as TUI Airways and Wizz Air, the airport site is being sold off to make way for a multi-million-pound energy plant in a collaboration between Coventry Airport and Coventry City Council.
The new Greenpower Park will see the construction of a £23 million gigafactory that will specialise in the assembly of electric motor vehicle batteries.
Located within the West Midlands Investment Zone, Greenpower Park is expected to support thousands of new jobs across the region, according to the West Midlands Combined Authority.
A brief history of Coventry Airport
Coventry Airport first opened in 1936 as RAF Baginton to act as a World War Two fighter base for the Royal Air Force (RAF). Having remained operational as a civilian airport in the post-war years, the airport specialised in general aviation, handling predominantly light aircraft, air ambulances and helicopter flights, as well as acting as a hub for UK domestic Royal Mail flights during the 1980s.
Commercial flights began from the airport in the 1950s with regular flights to the Channel Islands, before inclusive tour flights began to destinations in Spain, France and Italy in the 1980s.
In 2004, the airport briefly saw its fortunes rise when TUI Airways set up a base at the airport, with European low-cost airline Wizz Air also serving the airport for a brief spell before passenger flights ended at the end of 2008.
Since then, the airport had reverted to small-scale operations, but usage numbers and movements had been declining. In 2022, the airport owners (Rigby Group) applied for and received planning permission for the construction of the gigafactory on the site, thereby setting a deadline for the closure of the airport for all aviation-related operations.
What about the fate of Nimrod VX232 stranded at the airport?
Earlier this year, Aerospace Global News reported that a team at Coventry Airport involved in the restoration of a former Royal Air Force Nimrod aerial surveillance aircraft were attempting to have the aircraft fully restored so that it could be flown out to a new home at Manston Airport (MSE) in Kent.
However, with the closure of the airport now just days away, the team has conceded defeat and is now underway, preparing to remove the aircraft in pieces by road in order for it to be reassembled at its new home.
While the move was supposed to get underway on 6 June, this had to be postponed due to an unforeseen event with another aircraft at the airport site.
According to the Nimrod XV232 Preservation Group website, while disassembly activities are well underway, there is no prescribed date for when the aircraft removal will take place.
Featured image: Coventry Airport
