Passenger flight hopes for Coventry Airport

The new owners of Coventry Airport hope "the right airlines" can be found so passenger flights can be resumed.

The airport closed last December after getting into financial problems. Passenger flights stopped in 2008.

Patriot Aerospace group which is owned by Sir Peter Rigby bought the airport in April and the group said it was fully licensed for flights.

He said it was operational for business and freight flights and hoped passenger flights would return.

Sir Peter said the airport's location, in the centre of the country, was a positive factor and his company would maintain a full service with business jets, cargo, light aircraft and helicopters.

'Loved Coventry'

Passenger airline Thomsonfly stopped flights out of the airport at Baginton in November 2008. A year earlier the airport had plans for a new terminal rejected.

Coventry Airport is now investigating areas for expansion and the company is searching for viable airlines to see if the return of scheduled flights would be possible.

Sir Peter said: "Passengers loved flying from Coventry and to me flying commercial airlines is all about the travel experience."

He added: "The requirement is there and it's up to us to find the right airlines to serve that requirement."