USA: BRITISH AIRWAYS CONCORDE SUPERSONIC JET COMPLETES FIRST TRANS-ATLANTIC TEST FLIGHT SINCE CRASH LAST YEAR

Record ID: 631073

  • Title: USA: BRITISH AIRWAYS CONCORDE SUPERSONIC JET COMPLETES FIRST TRANS-ATLANTIC TEST FLIGHT SINCE CRASH LAST YEAR
  • Date: 23rd October 2001
  • Summary: (U5) NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 22, 2001) (REUTERS) LV CONCORDE LANDING AT JOHN F. KENNEDY AIRPORT AND TAXIING HAS TAXIING CONCORDE AT GATE (8 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 7th November 2001 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: Travel / Tourism,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVAB21HWLOL77ODE83KSXCP9WL5Q
  • Story Text: A British Airways Concorde completed its first trans-Atlantic test flight from London to New York since one of the supersonic planes crashed in Paris last year, killing 113 people and grounding the entire Concorde fleet.
    British Airways said the test flight by Concorde landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport at 9.33 a.m.
    EDT (1333 GMT) Monday (October 22) without incident and it was scheduled to depart at 12.15 p.m. EDT (1615 GMT) for the return flight to London.
    It was the first trans-Atlantic test flight since safety modifications were made to the fleet. It left London's Heathrow airport 40 minutes later than scheduled due to fog and congestion, British Airways said.
    BA said the flight would be used to assess the operation of the aircraft, the third BA Concorde to be upgraded. Two earlier modified aircraft have flown half-way across the Atlantic as part of ongoing tests.
    The Concorde fleets owned by British Airways and Air France were grounded after an Air France Concorde burst into flames just after takeoff from Charles de Gaulle airport on July 25 last year, killing all 109 people aboard and four on the ground.
    Stringent security measures also have been imposed on Concorde flights after the September 11 attacks on the United States, when hijacked commercial passenger jets smashed into New York and Washington, the airline said.
    About 92 passengers and crew were on Monday's flight.
    Investigators said the July accident occurred when one of the aircraft's tyres exploded after running over a strip of metal on the runway. Chunks of rubber pierced the underwing fuel tanks, sparking the fireball.
    Modifications to Concordes have included lining the fuel tanks with bullet-proof Kevlar and fitting them with tougher, more puncture-resistant tyres.
    BA will begin a daily scheduled commercial Concorde flight six days a week from November 9 between London and New York and from December 1 between London and Barbados in a once-a-week service during the winter, the company said.
    Air France has been losing an estimated 4.5 million euros (4.0 million U.S. dollars) a month and British Airways 6.7 million pounds a month by keeping their Concordes grounded and maintained.
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