Dhaka, Dec. 10 -- Coventry Airport, a 90-year-old airfield in central England that once hosted Pope John Paul II and members of the British royal family, will close in June 2026 to make way for a battery gigafactory.

The Civil Aviation Authority said the operator has given formal notice to shut the site on 11 June 2026. Owner Rigby Group said the move is a procedural step tied to its Green Power Park project, approved in 2022.

Opened in 1936 and used as a fighter base during World War Two, the airport has handled military, cargo and passenger flights over the decades and is home to the Midlands Air Museum. Local businesses renting hangars have been told to vacate by June 2026.

The site is part of the West Midlands Investment Zone, whic...