5 Fun Facts About British Airways’ Concorde Operations

Concorde was, of course, an iconic aircraft that turned heads wherever it flew. Synonymous with two major airlines, including Air France and British Airways, the plane was a joint project between France and the United Kingdom. British Airways has always been a keen supporter of Concorde, surpassing Air France in terms of flight hours, routes, and marketing. In this article about Concorde, we explore five interesting facts about its operations with the flag carrier of the UK.

1 The Guinness World Record holder

Fred Finn holds the record for most BA Concorde flights as a passenger

It would only be fair to start this list with the person who holds the Guinness World Record for having the highest number of flights on the Concorde.

Before the Concorde’s retirement in 2003, Fred Finn traveled a total of 22,370,000 kilometers (13,900,000 miles) on the type, especially flown by British Airways. His frequent trips between London and New Jersey totaled 718 Concorde flights, setting a record that remains unmatched to this day and will remain unbeaten in the future.

During his peak travels, Finn completed a minimum of two supersonic round trips from London to New York each week. Remarkably, he once achieved three return trips between Heathrow and New York within a single 12-hour period.

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“If money had a smell, you could smell it on the Concorde” – former flight attendant Sally Armstrong.

According to a report by Heritage Concorde, Fred consistently chose seat 9A while flying the six transatlantic segments in a single day. Finn’s favorite Concorde was British Airways’ G-BOAF.

2 BA Concorde flew 2.5 million pax

Concorde operated nearly 50,000 flights with BA

Concorde is known for its regular transatlantic operations with British Airways. Over its tenure with the UK’s flag carrier, Concorde operations accommodated more than 2.5 million passengers and conducted nearly 50,000 supersonic flights, according to a report by British Airways.

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Many things set Concorde apart from other commercial jets.

Unsurprisingly, the most served transatlantic flight was between London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and New York Airport (JFK). That said, it is worth noting that in addition to New York, British Airways served routes to Bahrain (the inaugural route from 1976 to 1980), Singapore (with a distinctive dual-livery painted aircraft), and Barbados. Other destinations in the United States included Washington Dulles, Miami, and Dallas.

3 Two concerts, one day

Concorde enabled Phil Collins to perform two concerts on different continents in a single day

On July 13th, 1985, famous British singer Phil Collins, along with his band Genesis, made a historic feat. Broadcasting live worldwide from two different continents, Collins began his day at Wembley Stadium in London, performing solo hits “Against All Odds” and “In The Air Tonight” on piano.

Photo: British Airways

After collaborating with Sting and delivering additional songs, Collins departed the stadium, traversed the Atlantic aboard a British Airways Concorde, and replicated his solo performances in Philadelphia, mirroring his London setlist.

Of course, this would not be possible with today’s modern aircraft as they typically have a block time of six to eight hours. As many readers may know, Concorde, with its supersonic capabilities, could cross the Atlantic with haste, completing the journey between London and New York in 2 hours and 52 minutes. Below, find Concorde’s specifications:

4 Modest fleet

BA had just seven Concordes in its fleet

Like other supersonic programs, such as those from the US and Russia, Concorde was a state-funded project. The aircraft was developed as part of an international treaty between the British and French governments.

Prior to and during Concorde’s development, more than 100 options were placed for future aircraft purchases. These originated from 18 airlines:

• British Airways
• Air France
• Pan American World Airways
• Continental
• Trans World Airlines (TWA)
• American Airlines
• Middle East Airlines (MEA)
• Qantas
• Air India
• Japan Airlines
• Sabena
• Eastern Airlines
• United Airlines
• Braniff
• Lufthansa
• Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)
• Iran Air

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However, due to the escalating costs of aircraft development, many airlines canceled their orders. Only two airlines, including British Airways, retained their orders, resulting in British Airways having seven Concordes in its fleet.

5 Concorde earned £500 million

All between a loss-making 1982 and a profitable 2000

According to a report by Heritage Concorde, British Airways’ fleet of seven Concordes earned the company £500 million ($631 million, after tax) between 1982 and 2000. This is despite the type being operated at a loss, to begin with, in its first year.

Photo: NYC Russ | Shutterstock

British Airways’ initial profitable year was in 1983, with earnings totaling £14 million ($17.6 million) before surging to £54 million ($68 million) by 1987. It is worth noting that the airline experienced both prosperous and challenging periods.

In 1992, BA incurred a slight loss but promptly swung back to profitability. Just before the end of Concorde operations, profits were nearly at £60 million ($75 million) annually; had operations continued, it is likely the airline would have at least sustained this level of success, according to the report.

Have you ever flown on one of the British Airways Concodes? Feel free to share in the comments section below.