See Times Online

Apologies for starting another 'Concorde to be killed off by BA' thread. I sincerely hope this is just journalistic hype (possibly based on the recent PPRuNe thread).

LONDON (Reuters) - Europe's biggest carrier British Airways Plc. said on Wednesday that a decision on the fate of its supersonic Concorde fleet was imminent, amid reports the world's fastest commercial planes could soon be pulled from service.

"We are looking at when the Concorde will be retiring. The process is at an advanced stage, but it is ... very much watch this space," said a spokesman for BA.....

The topic resurfaced today in the UK as yesterday (8/4) rumours in the European press suggested that AF were to announce 2007 as the date they would stop.

BA gave the same answer that they gave in feb...Concorde future was in the process of being decided but no decision had been made.

The airline normally plans ahead 4-5 years in terms of fleet usage so this would put BA in the same time frame of 2007. Yes other issues, such as very low loads could bring this forward, But BA unlike AF have had excellent loads. AF have been hit by a boycott of some US pax due to their stance on the war in Iraq.

What will now not happen is the re-life 2 project that would see the aircraft flying till 2015. They would, need good loads on the BA001/2/3 and 4 to pay for it, but we only have half these services due to the decline post 9/11. Nobody in the UK has every talked about not flying on the aircraft due to any safety issues, it simply economic downturn

I could be wrong, but I'm sure that there used to be little 'pleasure trips' on Concorde, for those unable to purchase a ticket to cross the Atlantic.......
Let's hope that if they do decide to get rid of her, they bring the 'pleaure trips' back for a while, so that everyone who has a dream of flying on her may get their chance before she goes.....

Interesting that when the speculation is on Proon it's a "thread" but when it's in the paper it's "hype"

I really hope I am wrong but if Concorde is still flying in half that length of time I'll eat my hat. (I will have to find it first, havn't worn it for years!)

Latest 'flash' on the BBC News website:

"BA expected to confirm it is withdrawing Concorde from service by Autumn. More soon."

Here's the story from BBC Online

RIP Concorde...................... simply the best.


From the BBC

Concorde to retire by end 2003



British Airways will confirm on Thursday that it is retiring its supersonic Concorde service, the BBC has learned.

Passenger numbers have never recovered since the crash near Paris in 2000 and the aircraft no longer makes a profit.

Concorde is expected to cease flying in the autumn, probably when BA's summer timetable ends on the last weekend of October, BBC transport correspondent Simon Montague said.

Air France has made no comment on whether it is close to pulling its Concorde service, after reports it would retire the service by 2007.

Concorde has been blighted by a rash of problems.

Three years ago 113 people were killed in the Paris crash.

Engine failure

At the end of last year it also emerged engine failure forced one New York-bound plane to turn back to London and another flight was forced to cut its speed when cracks appeared in a window.

Currently, BA's Concordes are certified to fly until 2009.

Both Air France and BA Concorde services have been badly affected in recent months by the American economic downturn and the Iraqi conflict.

The plane, born out a joint Anglo-French project, and developed by engineers at Filton, near Bristol, operates daily out of London Heathrow and Paris' Charles de Gaulle airport to North America.

It cruises at around 1350 mph at an altitude of up to 60,000ft (11 miles) meaning a crossing from Europe to New York takes less than three and a half hours.

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) and the Civil Aviation Authority both say Concorde remains safe to fly.

The Paris crash was blamed on debris on the runway which punctured a tyre.

Official according to who?The Daily Mail?

Nothing at this time at British Airways Online Press Office. But, who knows, by the time YOU go to the link http://www.britishairways.com/press/

Update - it's official - http://www.britishairways.com/cgi-bi...entre&caption=

And Air France too - http://double6.airfrance.fr/double6/...r?OpenDocument

Lord Marshall adds his two penn'orth (April 29th):
http://www.britishairways.com/cgi-bi...=none&caption=

:|

Sounds grim. The Beeb doesn't normally stick its neck out to this extent on such a sensitive subject unless it's found a cast-iron source on the inside.


Anyway, blasted infernal machine has had a good innings, time it stopped hogging the limelight.

If this is true, and I fear that it is, what will become of the greatest aircraft in the world?

I hope that aviators throughout the world will rally round to ensure that at least one or two are kept flying, possibly in the hands of a trust.

Danny, I am sure PPRuNe is the perfect organisation to take the lead in a rescue campaign.


Braddock

Could this be a cunning plan to entice punters?

Hope so.

Even worse if the Frogs keep their birds (and noses) in the air.

Is AF subsidised by the (ahem) "gov't"?

was checking the loads to see if the misses and I could make this once in a life time trip. By mistake I clicked on the price!
Return LHR-JFK $26,000 for two, WOW!
In this depressed market and the ongoing problems with the bird I think.................. Well anyway, I still want the opportunity to fly on one

Even worse if the Frogs keep their birds (and noses) in the air.

AF has previously announced theirs would retire in 2007. That was before the downturn though I think.

Good.........noisy ******

It todays cost-sensitive company environment, Concorde simply cannot pay its way.
To the scrap heap, just like the Trident.
Uneconomical....goodbye.

No romance for those things of beauty that fly 411A ?

Perhaps the Shuttleworth collection would buy one for a pound.

If not, I'll start building a plinth.

Sad day and I thought I'd had my fill of bad news.