USA: SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT CONCORDE LANDS IN NEW YORK FOR THE LAST TIME ON EVE OF HISTORIC FINAL TRIP TO LONDON

Record ID: 677441

  • Title: USA: SUPERSONIC AIRCRAFT CONCORDE LANDS IN NEW YORK FOR THE LAST TIME ON EVE OF HISTORIC FINAL TRIP TO LONDON
  • Date: 25th October 2003
  • Summary: (W1)NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (OCTOBER 23, 2003) (REUTERS) SLV CONCORDE TAXIING DOWN RUNWAY
  • Embargoed: 9th November 2003 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES
  • Country: USA
  • Topics: General,Transport
  • Reuters ID: LVAFCF09D3406JRYYEBSX6XB2Y6
  • Story Text: Concorde lands in New York for the last time on eve
    of historic final trip to London
    The world's only supersonic airliner, Concorde,
    arrived in New York's JFK Airport for the final time on
    Thursday (October 23). It retires from commercial flight on
    Friday (October 24) after almost 30 years of jetting the
    rich and famous across the Atlantic at up to twice the
    speed of sound.

    The last Concorde operated by British Airways will
    leave New York's JFK airport on Friday morning bound for
    London's Heathrow.

    The Anglo-French jet dubbed "Speedbird One" by
    controllers, the only supersonic passenger aircraft in the
    world, will retire from service on Friday after 27 years of
    service.

    British Airways flight 001, piloted by Captain Adrian
    Tomson, arrived in New York at 5:48pm after a 3 hour and 22
    minute flight time. It's passengers were the last to make
    the trip from London to New York.

    Many of the well-heeled travelers will sorely miss the
    convenience of traveling up to twice the speed of sound
    across the Atlantic.

    Bob Dillon-Schneider was asked if he'll miss Concorde
    travel.

    "Absolutely, saved me money, saved me time, saved my
    health. Now I have to go back to first class," said
    Dillon-Schneider.

    "It was spectacular," said Francios Dellaniello. "Just a
    little bit sad that it was the last one out. But you get to
    see it leaving back to London tomorrow, so you're luckier
    than we are."
    Passengers described a wing tilt "salute" as Concorde
    jetted above London for its final departure, followed by
    cheers from the crew. The scene onboard the flight was
    described by some as festive.

    "Yeah, it was just a party atmosphere and we were
    having laughs and giggles. Yeah, it was really good," said
    Karen Taylor.

    The Concorde was originally conceived in the early 1960s
    as a joint development project between Paris and London,
    the arrow-shaped airliner first took to the skies
    commercially in 1976.

    The French model, Concorde 001, took the first
    fare-paying passengers in January that year from Paris to
    Rio de Janeiro with the British Concorde 002 lifting off at
    the same time headed from London to Bahrain.

    Four months later both aircraft landed at the same time
    at Dulles airport in Washington.

    But already the writing was on the wall for the fuel
    guzzler as the world's aircraft industry, propelled by the
    first oil crisis in the early 1970s, switched to giants of
    the skies carrying hundreds of passengers each.

    Of an initial plan to make 300 Concordes, only 16 were
    ever manufactured of which two were the prototypes and only
    14 flew commercially. For years luxuriating in the title of the
    safest airliner in the world, Concorde's immaculate image was
    mauled in July 2000 when an Air France model crashed in
    flames on takeoff from Paris, killing everyone on board.

    Both fleets were promptly grounded for more than a year
    for major safety refits.

    The last Air France Concorde flew on May 31, and there
    are only four British Airways models still in service
    the last of which will fly in from New York on Friday to an
    emotional reception with thousands expected to watch the
    spectacle.
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