[23 FEB 00] COVENTRY
AIRPORT PRESS RELEASE
Airbus Visits Coventry Airport An Airbus
A300 B4 has become the largest aircraft to use West Midland International (Coventry)
Airport for many years with a recent non stop flight from Vitoria, Spain.
Operated by Dutch carrier Schreiner Airways the wide
bodied specialist freighter aircraft flew some 24 tonnes of motor vehicle parts for
Toyota, whose plant is at Burnaston, Derby. Aircraft broker Roberts Express, Maastricht,
Holland, managed the arrangement.
"We are very pleased indeed that Toyota chose Coventry
for this movement," said Airport Director Peter Jackson.
"We were able to give the operator the sort of
individual support that is virtually impossible at the very busy gateway airports. With a
total length of 1825m the Coventry runway is very much within the capability of the
Airbus."
Mr Jackson said that the airport was making serious efforts
to attract other operators of the twin engine B4, now proving to be one of the most
popular large freight aircraft.
"What we emphasise at Coventry is a lack of congestion
and very easy access to the main north-south and east-west motorways. We can tailor the
operation to suit the requirements of both the freight customer and the aircraft
operator."
Other recent airport clients have included Marconi, Jaguar,
Volkswagen, IBM, and the Arrows Racing Team.
Coventry Airport was established by Coventry Corporation in
1936. From that year up until the late fifties its principal function was as an airfield
serving the manufacturing company Armstrong Whitworth.
Several thousand aircraft were constructed at Coventry
between 1936 and the closure of the aircraft production facility in the early sixties.
Air Atlantique established it headquarters at Coventry in
December 1985. Royal Mail also became resident at the airport and today its facility is
the largest parcel sorting hub in Europe.
In June 1998 West Midlands International Airport Ltd was
created as a division of the Air Atlantique Group acquiring 100% of the airport from
Coventry City Council.
MORE INFORMATION:
Peter Jackson 024 7630 1717
Malcolm Ginsberg 01707 665454 malcolm@Ginsberg.co.uk
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