Concorde

Concorde was a supersonic passenger airliner developed jointly by the United Kingdom and France.

Concorde was a supersonic passenger airliner developed jointly by the United Kingdom and France. It flew commercially from 1976 to 2003, operated by British Airways and Air France.

What it is

Concorde was the first supersonic passenger-carrying commercial aircraft, built through an Anglo-French partnership signed in 1962. It used an ogival delta wing, a droop nose for runway visibility, and four Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 turbojets with reheat. Its design allowed a cruise speed of Mach 2.02 at up to 60,000 feet, and it was the first civil airliner with an analogue fly-by-wire flight-control system.

Why it matters

Concorde proved that scheduled supersonic passenger travel was technically possible, becoming an icon of aviation history. Although only British Airways and Air France operated it, the aircraft captured global imagination and influenced public interest in supersonic transport. Surviving Concordes are preserved in museums worldwide, and the type remains a major reference point for future supersonic aviation projects.

Key details

Scheduled passenger service began on 21 January 1976. Concorde mainly flew transatlantic routes (e.g., London–New York, Paris–New York) and a few other long-haul services. A total of 20 airframes were built, including prototypes and production models. Service ended in 2003, and the aircraft never entered Canadian airline service, though it remains a museum exhibit topic of interest in Canada.