Concorde to fly again? it’s possible
Club Concorde, a group of former Concorde pilots, charterers and frequent fliers, among others, has secured what it believes to be adequate financial backing to independently return the iconic supersonic aircraft to service by the end of this decade, almost 12 years since it last flew.
The group also plan to place a Concorde on permanent display in central London, on a purpose-built platform next to the London Eye and above the Thames. With a £40 million investment, the club is hoping to purchase a Concorde currently stationed in Paris and turn it into a London tourist attraction that would include a restaurant. The group thinks the aircraft could be on display by 2017. Getting Concorde back in the air is a somewhat more complicated matter. The club plan to restore a Concorde currently on display at Le Bourget airport in Paris. Once it is deemed safe to fly, they intend to deploy it for use in fly-pasts at air shows, corporate and special events, as well as for private charter. Club Concorde is aiming to fly the aircraft by 2019, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Concorde flight. With Airbus filing plans for “Concorde Mark 2”, a supersonic jet that could fly from London to New York in one hour, it seems supersonic aircraft are again in the spotlight in the aviation industry.
