Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the last Concorde flight, and supersonic business jets are still roughly five years away. A almost 30-year era of jet-setting began with the maiden flight of the British and French joint project from London Heathrow to Dulles International Airport on May 24, 1976. A round-trip ticket on the Concorde would have cost about $10,000 (or $20,000 in today's money), making it the plane of choice for the famous and the rich. The argument for the proposal centred on the possibility of halving the travel time between North America and Europe.
Even now, the record for the quickest passenger airliner crossing the Atlantic Ocean is the British Airways Concorde, which made the journey in 1996 from New York to London in around two hours and fifty-two minutes. Paul McCartney and Elizabeth Taylor were among the jet-setters who sailed on the Concorde during its peak, as reported by NPR.com. Phil Collins performed in London, hopped on the Concorde, and played in Philadelphia all on the same day in 1985 during the renowned Live Aid performance. "I was in England this afternoon," Collins announced to the audience as he settled behind the piano. What a strange world we live in, isn't it?
Only Air France and British Airways, with a combined fleet of seven Concordes, actually flew the plane, despite the fact that numerous other airlines had placed orders for it. It was usual for flights from London to Bahrain, Dulles, and Miami via Washington, although JFK became the most frequent route between the two cities. Washington also provided subsonic service to Dallas. Perhaps the most peculiar path it took was Saturdays from London to Barbados.
The Concorde
British Airways' 1996 transatlantic speed record from New York to London on the Concorde was 2 hours and 52 minutes; this record is still in use today.
BAE Systems
Opponents of the Concorde were there from the start. A Boeing 747, which could transport 500 passengers instead of 100, used four times as much jet fuel as the Concorde. The round-trip cost of the supersonic jet was over $10,000 in the 1990s, which is equivalent to around $200,000 in today's dollars. In response to widespread outrage over the sonic boom, numerous nations, including the United States Congress, banned supersonic travel over land.
The 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde at Charles de Gaulle Airport killed all 109 people on board and grounded all Concordes in service for over a year. Supersonic flying on an ageing fleet is expensive and has environmental implications; most travellers don't see the point after 9/11, which shook up the airline industry.
Commentator Lester Reingold predicted on NPR's Morning Edition in 2001 that commercial supersonic flight will become like space travel: a goal realised, and then long abandoned.
Business Jet Boom Overture Supersonic
The successor to Concorde, Boom's Overture is less harmful to the environment.
BOOM
However, new supersonic business jet manufacturers like Boom are targeting Mach-1+ travel as a potential return to the market. Boom Overture's narrow fuselage and delta wings give it a Concorde-like appearance; yet, the Overture can carry one third fewer passengers and has a wingspan that is 23 feet wider. Another advantage was the Concorde's speed, which could exceed twice the speed of sound. Mach 1.7 is the target speed of the Overture. Boom estimates that the Overture can complete more than 600 global routes in almost half the time it takes subsonic commercial jets.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can cut carbon emissions by as much as 90% compared to regular jet fuel, and the business is now developing engines to run on this fuel, in addition to finding ways to lessen the impact of the sonic boom. A total of 35 Overtures have been ordered by United and American Airlines. The aircraft is expected to be ready for commercial use by 2029, according to Boom.
FAIR-USE COPYRIGHT DISCLAIMER
* Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, commenting, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use.
The Buzz does not own the rights to these videos and pictures. They have, in accordance with fair use, been repurposed with the intent of educating and inspiring others. However, if any content owners would like their images removed, please contact us by email [email protected].