Summary

  • Concorde conducted its first commercial flights on January 21st, 1976, with British Airways and Air France flying to Bahrain and Rio de Janeiro.
  • The collaboration between British and French aviation industries laid the foundation for the Concorde program, leading to the successful launch of the supersonic jetliner.
  • Despite its initial success, the high costs of operating and flying on Concorde, as well as tragic incidents like the Air France crash in 2000 and the decrease in passenger activity after 9/11, contributed to its downfall.

It has been over 47 years since Concorde conducted its first commercial flights. On January 21st, 1976, the supersonic jetliner took off from London and Paris on the same day with British Airways and Air France, respectively.

A grand occasion

Concorde performed its maiden flight on March 2nd, 1969. It would take another seven years for the aircraft to be introduced into service.

At 11:40 UTC, on a cold winter morning in 1976, two units of the flag carriers of the United Kingdom and France departed simultaneously. British Airways' plane left for Bahrain, while Air France's jet took off for Rio de Janeiro via Dakar.

British Airways’ G-BOAA landed in Bahrain just four hours after departing despite a modified flight path due to the geopolitics of the time. In comparison, a standard jet would have taken 2.5 hours longer to complete the trip.

Meanwhile, Air France's F-BVFA landed at its final destination in Brazil at 20:06 Paris time after the stop in Senegal in between. This French voyage would complement its British counterpart's journey to make a statement in a new generation of flight.

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Plenty to celebrate

It was a joyous event following years of collaboration between two of Europe's most robust aviation industries at the time. Since the turn of the 1960s, British and French outfits were in contact about the development of an SST. A draft treaty between the two nations was then signed in November 1962, laying the foundations for the Concorde program.

Talking about the grand affair, Samme Chittum shared the following in Last Days of the Concorde:

“Most of the seats on both jets were filled with dignitaries from France and England, of course, as well as notables from Germany, Sweden, Brazil, and Spain. Queen Elizabeth II sent her 'warmest congratulations to the people of France for the 'successful outcome of 14 years of close collaboration between our two nations.'

“Over ensuing years, many well-heeled passengers came forward to purchase tickets to fly from London or Paris to New York and back in one day. Although some flights took off only half full. Concorde was to remain a popular choice for dignitaries and celebrities. Pope John Paul II flew on Concorde, as did Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip, and French President Jacques Chirac.”

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A costly experience

Despite the fanfare with the trips to Rio de Janeiro and Bahrain, Concorde would primarily go on to be seen on services to one destination, in particular, New York. Until 2003, Concorde performed scheduled flights across the Atlantic Ocean to the US East Coast.

It was an expensive ticket to fly on Concorde, with the cost being around $11,150 today. Nonetheless, it remained a popular service for a privileged few, including passenger Fred Finn, who flew on the type 718 times.

Ultimately, it was the high costs of operating and flying on Concorde that significantly contributed to its downfall. The crash of Air France flight 4590 in 2000 and the downturn in passenger activity following 9/11 also added to the plane's troubles.

Nonetheless, the delta-winged model remains a legend in the eyes of the aviation community, highlighting what can be achieved technically. The project is inspiring another wave of supersonic travel, with companies from numerous regions launching supersonic programs in recent years.

For instance, Boom Supersonic is making impressive progress with its Overture program. Notably, the company's XB-1 prototype was given the green light for test flights last month.

October 24th marks 20 years since Concorde's last commercial operation. Moreover, November 26th will represent 20 years since the type unit flew to its retirement home. So, as we commemorate these anniversaries, we can remain hopeful that supersonic travel won't remain a thing of the past in commercial aviation for long.

What are your thoughts about Concorde’s first flights? What do you make of the history of the jet? Let us know what you think of the aircraft and its operations in the comment section.

Source: Last Days of the Concorde