FAQ

Who will be the  owner of  the Concorde fleet after the end of its use in air traffic?
The ownership remains by the  British Airways, still  the part of the  Concorde  fleet is now placed  in  museums around the world.   All the aircrafts  have got their new homes and will be used in a way  British Airways and a new owner  feel is most suitable.
 
What is the Concorde’s age?
The first test  flight  took place in  Filton in 1969 34 years ago. The first commercial flight was 27 years ago.

How many customers  has the Concorde transported?
Over  2.5 million since the start of  commercial passenger services in 1976.

What is the amount of flights the British Airways Concordes made starting from 1976?
Only about 50,000.

When was the start of Concorde commercial passenger  services?
British Airways' first  supersonic flight  was  London Heathrow - Bahrain on 21 January 1976.
Frst  flight to New York was in  November 1977.

How long did the Concorde  flight to New York last?
The flight time from London Heathrow to  New York JFK usually took  three hours and 20 minutes. Boeing 747, for example,  covers this distance in  more than seven hours.
 
Was the Concorde given to British Airways by the British Government  for one pound UK sterling?
It’s not true that  British Government  either paid GBP1.00 (UK Sterling) for the Concorde fleet, or  give it in trust.
The manufacturers were paid more than GBP155 million for the Concorde fleet  by the British Airways predecessors (source:1977/78 Report and Accounts) and  for the next 27 years of operation British Airways investment  in the fleet was more than GBP1 billion.
The Concorde  book cost fall down to nil in 1979,  in 1983 subsequent capital investments were charged off to nil. (source: 1987 Prospectus on British Airways privatisation)
In March 1984  when British Airways undertook full responsibility for Concorde support costs government ended its involvement with Concorde. To get  the government's stock of spare parts British Airways Board paid GBP16.5 million and  release from the profit share scheme under which government got  80 per cent of Concorde operating left-over.
In 1987 British Airways  was privatized by the government and  got more than GBP900 million for selling its interest in the airline, including Concorde.

Has Concorde ever belong to the public, before it was bought when British Airways became a public corporation?
British Airways  was purchased from the government by our shareholders for over GBP900 million, including the Concorde fleet. Still the  British Airways remains the owner of the Concorde fleet now it is  retired and placed at museums around the world.
In the latest DTI statement issued by states: "It is not for this Department or the government to either make decisions on either the cessation of Concorde services or the disposal of the aircraft concerned."

Is it possible that the full fleet will be still  flying in 20 to 25 years?
Airbus specifies the maintenance regulation and produce spare parts for Concorde. Airbus clarified that it won’t support Concorde operations, by any airline, after October 2003.
Financial Times publish Noel Forgeard, Airbus chief executive quote: "The costs of operating Concorde, and in particular maintenance and support, have become such that operations are unrealistic for any operator."
 
Is it true that for the British public  Concorde’s development cost billions of pounds?
There is no any data how much it cost the governments - decision  for Concorde’s  development was taken together by the French and British governments in the early 1960s.

After the British Airways was privatized,  was the GBP155m purchase price, which was subsequently written off, accumulated by a government?
The profit, in excess of GBP900 million,  raised from privatization,  is more than the government's investment in British Airways, including the Concorde fleet.
 
Was  a Concorde re-launch a mistake?
Definitely no. Starting the re-launch, it was not possible   to know that the decline in business and first-class travel would take effect to the extent it has.  But  after the re-launch, services were profitable.
The tragic September 11 terrorist attacks also impacted negatively on business travel, though  the modification work and testing programmes were virtually complete and paid for by this time.

Can Concorde some day come out of retirement - e.g. for airshows  or a Coronation flypast?
No, because it’ll be too costly to maintain Concorde for occasional use.

When was the start of Concorde commercial passenger services?
On January 21, 1976  flew BA's first commercial supersonic flight London Heathrow - Bahrain.                                                                      November 1977 - BA's first Concorde flight to New York.
 
When and where was the first transatlantic crossing?
The first transatlantic crossing was on the 24 of May, 1976  to Washington.
 
What is the date of the first New York flight?
November 22, 1977.