BA to sell Concorde to Dubai?
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BA to sell Concorde to Dubai?
The Times: BA may clip Concorde’s wings and sell her to Dubai 
There is some corner of a foreign desert that is for ever England. Dubai already has the Queen Elizabeth 2, the world’s fastest cruise ship, and now it is bidding for Concorde, the fastest airliner.
Forty years ago tomorrow, the British version of the graceful delta-winged aircraft took to the skies on its maiden flight. The 22-minute journey made by 002 from Filton, Bristol, to Fairford, Gloucestershire, prompted an outpouring of national pride that swept aside complaints about the cost, soot and, of course, the deafening roar.
Yet the anniversary celebrations will be overshadowed for many Concorde enthusiasts by the disclosure that British Airways may betray a promise to put a Concorde on public display at Heathrow and instead cut it into pieces and ship it to the Gulf.
A Dubai-based consortium, advised by former BA Concorde crew, is planning to turn the aircraft into a tourist attraction, possibly on one of the manmade palm-shaped islands. It would be jointly marketed with the QE2, which was sold to Dubai last year to become a floating hotel.
The aircraft’s wings would have to be sliced off before it could be loaded on to a ship.
BA grounded its seven-strong Concorde fleet six years ago and gave six to museums. But it kept one, Alpha Bravo, and for the past six years hid it away behind the airline’s engineering base at the eastern end of Heathrow. Only those who know where to look will see the distinctive slender nose.
By contrast, an Air France Concorde stands proudly on a plinth outside the airline’s headquarters at Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris. Another one is preserved at the Paris Air and Space Museum by former engineers who regularly run the electronic and hydraulic systems.
BA ordered in 2003 that Concorde’s systems should be disabled. Jock Lowe, the marque’s former chief pilot, accused the airline at the time of undermining efforts to operate heritage flights.
Despite making up to £20 million profit a year from Concorde during 27 years of commercial flights, BA is refusing to help any of the groups seeking to get the aircraft back in the air. It has repeatedly rejected requests to publish a feasibility study. BA claims it showed that it would be too expensive, but it will not share the figures with the Save Concorde Group, which believes it could raise sponsorship for a return to flight. A BA spokesman said: “It is an internal document and wasn’t intended to be shared. It has commercial information in it.”
The airline has also been distancing itself from Concorde in its branding. Two years ago, BA removed a model of Concorde from a roundabout on the approach road from the M4 to Heathrow where it had been for 16 years. It has been replaced with a model of an Emirates Airbus A380 superjumbo.
Ben Lord, of the Save Concorde Group, said: “Sending it to Dubai would be a kick in the teeth for Britain’s aviation heritage. Chopping off its wings and putting it on a ship would be the final insult.”
A source close to the Dubai consortium said it would spend several million pounds restoring the aircraft’s interior, much of which was removed and used as spares on other Concordes. He said: “If any Concorde was going to return to flight, Alpha Bravo would not be the one because it did not have the safety modifications made to others after the Paris crash in 2000. It would be very well taken care of in Dubai.”
BA admitted that it was considering removing Alpha Bravo from Heathrow, but refused to comment on its discussions with the Dubai consortium.
There is some corner of a foreign desert that is for ever England. Dubai already has the Queen Elizabeth 2, the world’s fastest cruise ship, and now it is bidding for Concorde, the fastest airliner.
Forty years ago tomorrow, the British version of the graceful delta-winged aircraft took to the skies on its maiden flight. The 22-minute journey made by 002 from Filton, Bristol, to Fairford, Gloucestershire, prompted an outpouring of national pride that swept aside complaints about the cost, soot and, of course, the deafening roar.
Yet the anniversary celebrations will be overshadowed for many Concorde enthusiasts by the disclosure that British Airways may betray a promise to put a Concorde on public display at Heathrow and instead cut it into pieces and ship it to the Gulf.
A Dubai-based consortium, advised by former BA Concorde crew, is planning to turn the aircraft into a tourist attraction, possibly on one of the manmade palm-shaped islands. It would be jointly marketed with the QE2, which was sold to Dubai last year to become a floating hotel.
The aircraft’s wings would have to be sliced off before it could be loaded on to a ship.
BA grounded its seven-strong Concorde fleet six years ago and gave six to museums. But it kept one, Alpha Bravo, and for the past six years hid it away behind the airline’s engineering base at the eastern end of Heathrow. Only those who know where to look will see the distinctive slender nose.
By contrast, an Air France Concorde stands proudly on a plinth outside the airline’s headquarters at Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris. Another one is preserved at the Paris Air and Space Museum by former engineers who regularly run the electronic and hydraulic systems.
BA ordered in 2003 that Concorde’s systems should be disabled. Jock Lowe, the marque’s former chief pilot, accused the airline at the time of undermining efforts to operate heritage flights.
Despite making up to £20 million profit a year from Concorde during 27 years of commercial flights, BA is refusing to help any of the groups seeking to get the aircraft back in the air. It has repeatedly rejected requests to publish a feasibility study. BA claims it showed that it would be too expensive, but it will not share the figures with the Save Concorde Group, which believes it could raise sponsorship for a return to flight. A BA spokesman said: “It is an internal document and wasn’t intended to be shared. It has commercial information in it.”
The airline has also been distancing itself from Concorde in its branding. Two years ago, BA removed a model of Concorde from a roundabout on the approach road from the M4 to Heathrow where it had been for 16 years. It has been replaced with a model of an Emirates Airbus A380 superjumbo.
Ben Lord, of the Save Concorde Group, said: “Sending it to Dubai would be a kick in the teeth for Britain’s aviation heritage. Chopping off its wings and putting it on a ship would be the final insult.”
A source close to the Dubai consortium said it would spend several million pounds restoring the aircraft’s interior, much of which was removed and used as spares on other Concordes. He said: “If any Concorde was going to return to flight, Alpha Bravo would not be the one because it did not have the safety modifications made to others after the Paris crash in 2000. It would be very well taken care of in Dubai.”
BA admitted that it was considering removing Alpha Bravo from Heathrow, but refused to comment on its discussions with the Dubai consortium.
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G_BOAC looks great in it`s own hangar at Manchester at the viewing park
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Ben Lord, of the Save Concorde Group, said: “Sending it to Dubai would be a kick in the teeth for Britain’s aviation heritage. Chopping off its wings and putting it on a ship would be the final insult.”
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Just a shame the airport decided to make the chap who looked after her redundant!. He was also responsible for ensure that the Trident was saved from the scrap man at Heathrow and moved to Manchester.
All the effort to stop BA chopping up the Trident Three were led by one chap. He arranged to have the aircraft reduced to movable parts and transported to Manchester where it was "rebuilt".
Whats more he also left BA, moved to Manchester with his family and restored the aircraft to a condition we, who flew the aircraft, would have loved BA to maintain the fleet (with the same TLC, inside and out).
There was also another ex BA aircraft that he was responsible for, the Concorde. That too was kept in excellent condition, being washed more often than my car!!
Alas now that the Concorde is under cover the Trident will rapidly deteriorate as the chap is now "surplus to requirements", made redundant to you and me.
I am told that BA still owns all the Concorde's, if so sell the Manchester one, after all it only visited there on the odd diversion/jolly. If it wasn't going to be in the plans for Terminal Five then it should have replaced the model rather than the A380 at the approach to the tunnel. After all it's a part of the countries aviation history, not just BA's
You chopped up the fleet museum at Cosford (B707, Trident One, BAC111 etc), come on BA look after the "old flagship" at Heathrow. It would be rather better than the collection of photos on some PC that you call the "British Airways Museum Collection" (click for the link... British Airways Museum Collection)
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Oh no. Thats MY Concorde, G-BOAB. Spent time as SLF on the Flight Deck with my Video camera in flight and slightly p...ed [free champagne. How dare they sell it without my permisiion.!!!!
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Oh come on, people, let go of the past, can't you? All this Heritage crap - it's just crocodile tears. We need to preserve our species, not clumping old relics of our post-industrial, inglorious past. Embrace the Now - it's the only one you get.
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A bit off the topic but re the BA Museum (see Woodpecker, above).
I was there a few weeks ago doing some "serious" research. They are a devoted, knowledgable and cheerful bunch of unpaid volunteers. If I understand right (and don't quote them on this) they get very little support directly from BA. They have an amazing collection of memorabilia (including a Concorde nose cone).
What is more they hold the BA Archives. Hundreds of files of documents going back to Imperial Airways and beyond. On a par with the National Archives in Kew. I was able to find some original photos of the opening of Sharjah Airport in 1932 and its first flight in by HP42. And all the data on the loss of HP42 Hannibal on its way to Sharjah from Karachi in 1940. And they will feed you with coffee and biscuits while you work.
They are great people and could desperately do with more support from the top brass. And bigger premises to expand into.
Laurence
I was there a few weeks ago doing some "serious" research. They are a devoted, knowledgable and cheerful bunch of unpaid volunteers. If I understand right (and don't quote them on this) they get very little support directly from BA. They have an amazing collection of memorabilia (including a Concorde nose cone).
What is more they hold the BA Archives. Hundreds of files of documents going back to Imperial Airways and beyond. On a par with the National Archives in Kew. I was able to find some original photos of the opening of Sharjah Airport in 1932 and its first flight in by HP42. And all the data on the loss of HP42 Hannibal on its way to Sharjah from Karachi in 1940. And they will feed you with coffee and biscuits while you work.
They are great people and could desperately do with more support from the top brass. And bigger premises to expand into.
Laurence
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This appeal has been doing the rounds since Gail Redwood was the BA Company secretary and will continue I imagine until the day BA can palm it off to Hendon or Duxford. No room for sentiment least of all now. Having been there a couple of times it seems a shame that some of the stuff could / should be exhibited in T 5, BA's home.
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Captainspeaking - with due respect, disagree wholeheartedly with the sentiment of your post. I fly to CDG on a regular basis and have to say that the French have done a grand job in the way they have mounted one of their fleet on pillars with the gear down - it's (in my view) a fitting tribute to an aviation icon. Why can't we (BA) do something comparable? Cost? Enthusiasm? It beggars belief it really does. We've now got the Emirates A380 on the tunnel rdabt, why can't we have AB mounted on the big grass rdabt at the entrance to T5? Would look great............ 
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Why can't we (BA) do something comparable
One of the nice things about France is that passion can often trump economics. Its not just at CDG. Look also in Hall 3 at Marseille-Marignane and there is one of Henri Fabre's Canard floatplanes hanging from the ceilng.
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...does he know?
Henri Fabre - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Considering that there are piles of metal junk in the Emirates already, what is another one...just a bit of trash.
It's too small to make into a restaurant or disco, anyway.
A small bowling alley, perhaps?
It's too small to make into a restaurant or disco, anyway.
A small bowling alley, perhaps?
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They do things differently
Meanwhile in the parallel universe of Lufthansa..........
Lufthansa's restored Starliner to be airborne in 2011
Lufthansa's restored Starliner to be airborne in 2011
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saucepans
Never made a profit...altho it was a 'reasonable' enginerering feat.
Maybe.
