Inside the Archive #10 | Concorde

On 2 March 1969, Concorde’s prototype, F-WTSS (001), flew its maiden flight in a breakthrough moment for aviation. In the year America put man on the moon, a collaboration between British Airways and Air France promised to make supersonic transport for consumers a reality back on Earth.

But of course, we all know how the story ended. On 25 July 2000, flight 4590, operated by Air France, crashed shortly after take-off from Paris, killing all 109 passengers and crew on board alongside four individuals on the ground. An investigation later revealed that a strip of metal debris on the runway triggered a chain of events that led to the fuel tank rupturing and a fire starting. The incident not only exposed safety issues but destroyed its reputation among the flying public. Extortionate ticket prices, problems with noise and competition from a new generation of traditional aircraft led to its early retirement in 2003.