Official : British Airways Retires Concorde (merged)
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What sad news.
The BBC story is just typical of the way the British media has been banging nails in Concorde's coffin ever since the crash.
Is it any wonder that passenger numbers never recovered? Instead of boosting the positive aspects of this wonderful British achievement, and wanting it to be successful again, the British press has blown every 'incident' out of all proportion and, each time, listed every other previous 'incident' which it claimed cast doubt upon Concorde's safety. Every Concorde story for the past few years has repeated the crash details, the number killed etc. The British press/media 'Concorde is a deathtrap' campaign has been unrelenting and, sadly, successful.
Aren't we a strange race? If it's British, we knock it.
The BBC story is just typical of the way the British media has been banging nails in Concorde's coffin ever since the crash.
Is it any wonder that passenger numbers never recovered? Instead of boosting the positive aspects of this wonderful British achievement, and wanting it to be successful again, the British press has blown every 'incident' out of all proportion and, each time, listed every other previous 'incident' which it claimed cast doubt upon Concorde's safety. Every Concorde story for the past few years has repeated the crash details, the number killed etc. The British press/media 'Concorde is a deathtrap' campaign has been unrelenting and, sadly, successful.
Aren't we a strange race? If it's British, we knock it.
Used to know a Concorde Captain - ace chap but he could never quite explain why flight crew got off in the States after a three and a half hour sector instead of simply flying the return trip...
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NW1 ignore him and his petty, narrow minded, jealous attitude. His opinion is not worth bothering yourself about. Those who really appreciate Concorde know her true value. It's just a shame most of us can't afford to fly in her. A very sad day indeed and what will now be an unfulfilled ambition for me 
(unless I win the lottery this weekend.)
(unless I win the lottery this weekend.)
I was just thinking the other day that I would make a serious attempt at having a flight on Concorde one day, but that was based on her flying on to 2006 or so. Now I'll have to let that plan go as there's no way I'll get hold of the cash needed before October!
Sad to see her go, for six months when I worked in TBA it was great so see her standing outside the window each morning. Hope they find a few fitting places for her.
Sad to see her go, for six months when I worked in TBA it was great so see her standing outside the window each morning. Hope they find a few fitting places for her.
ENTREPPRUNEUR
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I think Concorde was a great achievement and a very good aircraft but 411A is really right. The World has moved on. I would have liked them to mothball it in case everything picks up again but it looks like the maintenance costs spell curtains.
Controversial, moi?
I too think it is a magnificent aeroplane but most of these posts are allowing hearts to rule heads.
It is a simple fact that people are not flying on it because the economic downturn worldwide has led to minimal numbers flying business class, first class or Concorde.
It is costing BA dearly to fly the flagship and there comes a point when it has to go.
It is an end of an era and very sad but it is good to see it being retired gracefully rather than never flying again after the tragic accident.
As an aside do you think if we ignored 411A's assinine comments he would go away?
It is a simple fact that people are not flying on it because the economic downturn worldwide has led to minimal numbers flying business class, first class or Concorde.
It is costing BA dearly to fly the flagship and there comes a point when it has to go.
It is an end of an era and very sad but it is good to see it being retired gracefully rather than never flying again after the tragic accident.
As an aside do you think if we ignored 411A's assinine comments he would go away?
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1000 seats "on offer"
From the BA site:
Supersonic Celebration
Celebrate Concorde with British Airways by taking advantage of one of these 'Once in a Lifetime' offers between London and New York.
1000 seats at these special fares will go on sale in the UK from 10 April for just one week, for travel until 6 September.
Price Details
£3999 Concorde both ways
£3499 one-way Concorde and one-way FIRST
£2999 one-way Concorde and one-way Club World
£2199 one-way Concorde and one-way World Traveller Plus
£1999 one-way Concorde and one-way World Traveller
Terms and Conditions
This offer is available for sale from 10 to 17 April 2003 with outbound travel between 10 April and 6 September 2003.
Minimum stay must include one Saturday night. Maximum stay is 30 days. No changes and no refunds can be made. This offer can be combined with connections from other UK airports.
To book this offer in the UK call 0845 77 333 77. For non UK residents please contact your local British Airways office.
Business Savers are also available, contact your local British Airways office.
Supersonic Celebration
Celebrate Concorde with British Airways by taking advantage of one of these 'Once in a Lifetime' offers between London and New York.
1000 seats at these special fares will go on sale in the UK from 10 April for just one week, for travel until 6 September.
Price Details
£3999 Concorde both ways
£3499 one-way Concorde and one-way FIRST
£2999 one-way Concorde and one-way Club World
£2199 one-way Concorde and one-way World Traveller Plus
£1999 one-way Concorde and one-way World Traveller
Terms and Conditions
This offer is available for sale from 10 to 17 April 2003 with outbound travel between 10 April and 6 September 2003.
Minimum stay must include one Saturday night. Maximum stay is 30 days. No changes and no refunds can be made. This offer can be combined with connections from other UK airports.
To book this offer in the UK call 0845 77 333 77. For non UK residents please contact your local British Airways office.
Business Savers are also available, contact your local British Airways office.
Join Date: Feb 2001
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Built by Airbus
Concorde was built by Airbus, apparently.................
http://www.britishairways.com/press/
Click "Concorde - end of an era"
And so from October, the web site will be plastered with pictures of B777 and A320 or other such grey porridge.
Sad news indeed.
http://www.britishairways.com/press/
Click "Concorde - end of an era"
And so from October, the web site will be plastered with pictures of B777 and A320 or other such grey porridge.
Sad news indeed.
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Typical B.A. though, spend a fortune on re-vamping them and then ground them!!. I never worked on the "poisoned dart" myself but it will be a sad day when the windows in Bedfont are rattled for the last time!!!.
Rgds Dr.I.
Rgds Dr.I.
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One of the reasons I wanted to become a commercial pilot. I will miss the roar over my house at 1915 (ish!)
One of the most beautiful birds to have ever flown. Wish I could have had the pleasure.
One of the most beautiful birds to have ever flown. Wish I could have had the pleasure.
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Just a couple of thoughts on this sadly inevitable news:
- Frank Sinatra had many "retirements"; maybe things might change before October?
- I wonder if there is space on the LHR entrance roundabout for a full-size Concorde in place of the plastic model?
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Concorde is dying because of falling demand, but there is more to this falling demand than just the current economic condition; if BA thought business would rebound next year they would not want to take a GBP 80m charge today to get rid of Concorde.
No, one of the principal reasons why demand for Concorde has become so low is because of the vast multitude of alternative flights now available between London and New York. Their number dwarfs the options available to business people when Concorde entered service 27 years ago.
Next Monday, there are 23 - yes, 23! - scheduled non-stop services, excluding Concorde, between LHR and JFK, each operated by a large widebody - a 747, 777 or A340 derivative. There are a futher 10 flights operating between either LHR or LGW to EWR.
With this plethora of flights, business people have enormous flexibility in their travel arrangments. Thus Mr. Businessman can opt to leave Heathrow early, at 7.55am and arrive at JFK at 10.20am. Or he can travel late, leaving Heathrow at 8.05pm and arriving at JFK at 10.50pm. Either possibility allows Mr. Businessman a respectable day's business activity in London or New York, plus the trip itself - particularly if, as is now possible, he can access his emails on the plane and make telephone calls if necessary.
On the return from New York, the compressed day due to the time difference meant that Concorde was never that helpful to Mr. Businessman: the best it could do was get him back in time for a dinner engagement in London by landing around 6pm, while the subsonic flight returned him four hours later at 9pm. This was a marginal benefit at the best of times.
So, for for the businessman looking to travel to New York, the only legitimate reason to travel Concorde in recent years has been because of critical business emergency. In the days of faxes, videoconferences and email, these types of business emergency are fewer in number than they used to be. Other than Mr Businessman, the rest of Concorde's clientele were the mega-rich. Post the bust, some of these individuals are less rich than they used to be. Other titans have concerns - which most of us here will say are illegitimate - about the safety of travelling in such an elderly aircraft.
Correspondents who say that the world has moved on have got it right. Ridding the world of supersonic passenger flight appears a rare example of technology moving backwards, and I will miss the presence in our skies of the most beautiful passenger plane ever built enormously.
No, one of the principal reasons why demand for Concorde has become so low is because of the vast multitude of alternative flights now available between London and New York. Their number dwarfs the options available to business people when Concorde entered service 27 years ago.
Next Monday, there are 23 - yes, 23! - scheduled non-stop services, excluding Concorde, between LHR and JFK, each operated by a large widebody - a 747, 777 or A340 derivative. There are a futher 10 flights operating between either LHR or LGW to EWR.
With this plethora of flights, business people have enormous flexibility in their travel arrangments. Thus Mr. Businessman can opt to leave Heathrow early, at 7.55am and arrive at JFK at 10.20am. Or he can travel late, leaving Heathrow at 8.05pm and arriving at JFK at 10.50pm. Either possibility allows Mr. Businessman a respectable day's business activity in London or New York, plus the trip itself - particularly if, as is now possible, he can access his emails on the plane and make telephone calls if necessary.
On the return from New York, the compressed day due to the time difference meant that Concorde was never that helpful to Mr. Businessman: the best it could do was get him back in time for a dinner engagement in London by landing around 6pm, while the subsonic flight returned him four hours later at 9pm. This was a marginal benefit at the best of times.
So, for for the businessman looking to travel to New York, the only legitimate reason to travel Concorde in recent years has been because of critical business emergency. In the days of faxes, videoconferences and email, these types of business emergency are fewer in number than they used to be. Other than Mr Businessman, the rest of Concorde's clientele were the mega-rich. Post the bust, some of these individuals are less rich than they used to be. Other titans have concerns - which most of us here will say are illegitimate - about the safety of travelling in such an elderly aircraft.
Correspondents who say that the world has moved on have got it right. Ridding the world of supersonic passenger flight appears a rare example of technology moving backwards, and I will miss the presence in our skies of the most beautiful passenger plane ever built enormously.
'nough said
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1. Moggie,
which bit of
can't you grasp?
2. To the people who accused journalists of scaremongering yesterday - I think an apology is in order. They sometimes do get the insider information before you do you know.. In fact, I would suspect the early release of the decision was orchestrated by BA and AF to soften the blow.
3. re the retirement itself: as far as I'm concerned it was nice while it lasted, but good ridance - the rest us will enjoy less pollution and a quieter environment
. And Jack Straw et al will just have to go off and buy a rocket instead.
which bit of
Airbus’ predecessors Aerospatiale and British Aircraft Corporation created Concorde some 40 years ago
2. To the people who accused journalists of scaremongering yesterday - I think an apology is in order. They sometimes do get the insider information before you do you know.. In fact, I would suspect the early release of the decision was orchestrated by BA and AF to soften the blow.
3. re the retirement itself: as far as I'm concerned it was nice while it lasted, but good ridance - the rest us will enjoy less pollution and a quieter environment
. And Jack Straw et al will just have to go off and buy a rocket instead.
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It must have done something right, i never read such howlings when BA announced that it was becoming all jet and getting rid of the jetstream31/41...why? It is sad but cash is king!!!!
I think that they are planning some regional departures before she leaves for the last time, she won't go out with a whimper,thats for sure!!!
I don't think sir dickie of the trickie is in a position to take them over, but maybe everyone's darling, Michael O' Leary could? What do you think, SSC DUB/STN, they might even bring forward their 732 retirement ex dublin and replace them with ssc. It would be interesting to see the ba logo literally scratched out and replaced by the harp, that would be a pr coup!!!
I think that they are planning some regional departures before she leaves for the last time, she won't go out with a whimper,thats for sure!!!
I don't think sir dickie of the trickie is in a position to take them over, but maybe everyone's darling, Michael O' Leary could? What do you think, SSC DUB/STN, they might even bring forward their 732 retirement ex dublin and replace them with ssc. It would be interesting to see the ba logo literally scratched out and replaced by the harp, that would be a pr coup!!!
BBC teletext yesturday included the lines "suffered a string of tragidies and incidents.."
A string of tragidies? It had one, the others were incidents which as far as I know were no more than cases of sections of the rudder (was it just parts of the skin?) coming off on a few occasions.
expect better from the BBC.
Be a sad day when it goes. I think also it is the only thing that gives BA its claim to heading all the others...
A string of tragidies? It had one, the others were incidents which as far as I know were no more than cases of sections of the rudder (was it just parts of the skin?) coming off on a few occasions.
expect better from the BBC.
Be a sad day when it goes. I think also it is the only thing that gives BA its claim to heading all the others...
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1)Mmm, I saw that headline too.
Maybe we should persuade the Beeb to get an aviation correspondent (or do they have one?)...
Might get rid of some of the c**p they come out with.
2) Rollingthunder,
Maybe BA should GIVE one to the Shuttleworth Collection, cos' then they can copy D**ford for a change...
Happy Landings - They'll be better than mine
(Anybody fancy giving me a few grand so I can have a whizz over the pond?)
Maybe we should persuade the Beeb to get an aviation correspondent (or do they have one?)...
Might get rid of some of the c**p they come out with.
2) Rollingthunder,
Maybe BA should GIVE one to the Shuttleworth Collection, cos' then they can copy D**ford for a change...
Happy Landings - They'll be better than mine
(Anybody fancy giving me a few grand so I can have a whizz over the pond?)