On this day in 2003, the supersonic Concorde jet completed its final commercial passenger flight, traveling at twice the speed of sound from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to London’s Heathrow Airport.
About 100 passengers were aboard the British Airways jet, which included actress Joan Collins, model Christie Brinkley, and a couple from Ohio who allegedly purchased two tickets for $60,000 on eBay (while a typical roundtrip trans-Atlantic fare was around $9,000). As the plane arrived in London, it was met by a large crowd of spectators, in addition to two other final Concorde flights originating from Edinburgh and the Bay of Biscay.
Developed collaboratively by the British and French governments, the Concorde launched commercial service in January 1976.
An impressive milestone in the realms of aviation technology and design, the sleek, delta-winged aircraft could complete the journey from New York to London in roughly three and a half hours, flying at 1,350 miles per hour. While the Concorde represented speed and luxury, it was not without its issues.
People living beneath its flight path voiced concerns about the significant noise it generated. Additionally, a tragic event occurred on July 25, 2000, when an Air France jet crashed shortly after departing from Paris, resulting in the loss of 113 lives.
Following the incident, all Concorde flights were suspended for more than a year.
Due to increasing operating expenses and declining ticket sales, British Airways retired its Concorde fleet in October 2003. Air France, the other airline operating the Concorde, had already permanently grounded its jets in May 2003. Nevertheless, the Concorde’s appeal remained so strong that when the airlines auctioned off spare parts from their fleets shortly after retirement, many items fetched prices far exceeding their estimated value. For instance, a blanket worth $100 was sold for $2,000, a door sold for $33,000, and a needle nose reached $550,000.
