HISTORY

20 years ago, the supersonic passenger jet Concorde flew for the last time

NOVEMBER 24, 2023 4:10 PM ET
HEARD ON ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
By Jack Mitchell



A British Airways Concorde takes off from London's Heathrow Airport in 2001.
David Parker/BWP Media/Getty Images

This is part of a special series where NPR looks back at our coverage of major news stories in the past. Listen to the full audio story to hear NPR's archival audio.

There was a time when you could fly from New York City to London at twice the speed of sound. Passengers dined on caviar and sipped champagne, all while zipping across the Atlantic Ocean in just 3 1/2 hours.

The plane had a slender white fuselage, a pointy nose that moved up and down, and a delta wing that formed a triangle.

Air France pilot Michel Butel told NPR that flying this plane was like flying a fighter jet. ... "It's amazing what you can do with that machine," Butel said.

He was describing the supersonic airliner Concorde, which 20 years ago made its final flight — marking the end of a groundbreaking chapter in aviation history.

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Singer Phil Collins and his wife Jill Tavelman check their watches at London's Heathrow Airport on July 13, 1985. Collins boarded a Concorde and flew to the U.S. for a Live Aid benefit concert in Philadelphia — after playing the London stage the same day.
Mirrorpix via Getty Images

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Concorde made its last-ever flight on Nov. 26, 2003, departing London's Heathrow Airport and landing in Bristol, England, greeted by a cheering crowd gathered behind fences near the runway.

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The last decommissioned Concorde sails down the River Thames and past Britain's Houses of Parliament on April 13, 2004, en route to its new home at the National Museum of Flight in Scotland.
Scott Barbour/Getty Images

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Concorde

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Retirement


Concorde's final flight: G-BOAF from Heathrow to
Bristol, on 26 November 2003. The extremely high
fineness ratio of the fuselage is evident.

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British Airways


BA Concorde G-BOAB at London Heathrow Airport.
This aircraft flew for 22,296 hours between its first
flight in 1976 and its final flight in 2000, and has
remained there ever since.

British Airways conducted a North American farewell tour in October 2003. G-BOAG visited Toronto Pearson International Airport on 1 October, after which it flew to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. G-BOAD visited Boston's Logan International Airport on 8 October, and G-BOAG visited Dulles International Airport on 14 October.

In a week of farewell flights around the United Kingdom, Concorde visited Birmingham on 20 October, Belfast on 21 October, Manchester on 22 October, Cardiff on 23 October, and Edinburgh on 24 October. Each day the aircraft made a return flight out and back into Heathrow to the cities, often overflying them at low altitude. On 22 October, both Concorde flight BA9021C, a special from Manchester, and BA002 from New York landed simultaneously on both of Heathrow's runways. On 23 October 2003, the Queen consented to the illumination of Windsor Castle, an honour reserved for state events and visiting dignitaries, as Concorde's last west-bound commercial flight departed London.

British Airways retired its Concorde fleet on 24 October 2003. G-BOAG left New York to a fanfare similar to that given for Air France's F-BTSD, while two more made round trips, G-BOAF over the Bay of Biscay, carrying VIP guests including former Concorde pilots, and G-BOAE to Edinburgh. The three aircraft then circled over London, having received special permission to fly at low altitude, before landing in sequence at Heathrow. The captain of the New York to London flight was Mike Bannister. The final flight of a Concorde in the US occurred on 5 November 2003 when G-BOAG flew from New York's JFK Airport to Seattle's Boeing Field to join the Museum of Flight's permanent collection. The plane was piloted by Mike Bannister and Les Broadie, who claimed a flight time of three hours, 55 minutes and 12 seconds, a record between the two cities that was made possible by Canada granting use of a supersonic corridor between Chibougamau, Quebec, and Peace River, Alberta. The museum had been pursuing a Concorde for their collection since 1984. The final flight of a Concorde worldwide took place on 26 November 2003 with a landing at Filton, Bristol, UK.

All of BA's Concorde fleet have been grounded, drained of hydraulic fluid and their airworthiness certificates withdrawn. Jock Lowe, ex-chief Concorde pilot and manager of the fleet, estimated in 2004 that it would cost £10–15 million to make G-BOAF airworthy again. BA maintain ownership and have stated that they will not fly again due to a lack of support from Airbus. On 1 December 2003, Bonhams held an auction of British Airways Concorde artefacts, including a nose cone, at Kensington Olympia in London. Proceeds of around £750,000 were raised, with the majority going to charity. G-BOAD is currently on display at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York. In 2007, BA announced that the advertising spot at Heathrow where a 40% scale model of Concorde was located would not be retained; the model is now on display at the Brooklands Museum, in Surrey, England.

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