Take That mark airport's final flight

Members of pop group Take That were the last passengers to fly into Coventry Airport before its closure, according to a post shared by the airport.

The band arrived on what airport staff described as the final booked commercial flight before operations cease at the site.

Coventry Airport is due to close on 11 June for the development of the £23m Greenpower Park, a joint venture between Coventry City Council and Coventry Airport.

In a light-hearted message on Facebook, airport officials said the musicians asked to have their photograph taken with the ground crew after learning they would be the airport's last commercial passengers.

The post joked that staff would normally decline such requests because they did not like people "using our image to further their careers", but made an exception on the historic occasion.

Airport staff thanked the band for taking time to speak to crew members, posed for a photograph and wished employees well for the future.

Take That, one of the UK's most successful pop acts, have sold millions of records since forming in 1990 and continue to tour and perform across the country.

The band were in Coventry after playing three consecutive nights at the CBS Arena this week as part of their revived Circus Live tour.

The Rigby Group, the airport's owners, 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.

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

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

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