International Business : Concorde Aircraft Turns 20--and It’s Still in Its Prime

The Concorde, the world’s only supersonic airliner, celebrated 20 years in service this week, but it will still be around for wealthy passengers in a hurry well into the next century, British Airways said.

The first commercial Concorde flight took off from London’s Heathrow airport for Bahrain on Jan. 21, 1976, with a round-trip fare of about $1,015. That compares with the $8,490 that British Airways now charges for its London-to-New York service.

British Airways said that its seven Concordes are still in perfect shape, and that with no development of a new supersonic aircraft likely before 2010, it intends to keep them flying for up to another 20 years.

“She was years ahead of her time when she first took to the skies, and with no firm signs of a supersonic successor in the wings, she is set to remain that way well into the 21st century,” said Capt. Jock Lowe, the airline’s Concorde commercial manager.

Compared with conventional airliners of similar age, the Concorde is the equivalent of a spring chicken, preserved by the high flying speeds and relatively few flying hours. Each of the airline’s Concordes averages just three flying hours a day, contrasted with 13 a day for the typical Boeing 747. There are also fewer takeoffs and landings, and the heat generated by friction from the supersonic speeds has kept the frame free of the corrosion that normally ages aircraft.