What Happened to the Concordes?

These days, it takes seven hours to fly from New York to London, compared to under three hours flying at twice the speed of sound on the Concorde. When I started my internship at the National Air and Space Museum, I was determined to learn why.

What is the Concorde?

The Concorde was a masterpiece, the gold standard of aviation engineering. It checked all the boxes: aesthetics, design, speed, luxury, and innovation. Which is why, after over 50 years, it remains one of the most iconic aircraft ever built. The Concorde was the first turbojet-powered supersonic airliner to enter service flying passengers across the Atlantic at twice the speed of sound.

What is a turbojet-powered supersonic aircraft? The turbojet engine is a jet engine; think of it as a powerful machine that takes in air, compresses it, mixes it with fuel, and ignites it. This mixture produces a thrust released from the back of the engine that propels the plane forward. By delivering 38,000 pounds of thrust, the Rolls-Royce Olympus engines on the Concorde could bring the aircraft to a maximum speed of 1,330 mph. The graceful Concorde was a stunning technological achievement designed and built by Sud Aviation which later became a part of  Aerospatiale  (now Airbus) of France and the British Aircraft Corporation. In English and French, 'concord' or 'Concorde' means agreement or harmony.

The Concorde could fly at incredibly high speeds and cruise at twice the altitude of a commercial jet, between 55,000 and 60,000 feet. Its passengers could see the Earth's curvature when they were at maximum altitude. Concordes accommodated 92 to 128 passengers and offered luxury service tailored for elite travelers in a four-across seating arrangement.

The Concorde boasted a distinctive design featuring a tailless body with a slim fuselage and an ogival delta wing — meaning that the wing design had a curved leading edge that combined the high-speed efficiency and structural benefits of a delta wing along with the smoothness of an ogival shape that allowed improved performance and stability at high speeds. The aircraft also included a droop nose that lowered for landing and take-off visibility. Additionally, the Concorde   could maintain supersonic speed without afterburners.

Setting the Stage 

The 1960s and ‘70s was an era that saw significant advancements in aviation and space: Jet airliner service started transforming travel in the 1960s and the Moon landing occurred in 1969. Later, the subsonic Boeing 747 revolutionized air travel again after entering service in 1970  and the Concordes entered service in 1976.    The aerospace industry was heavy on technological innovation and speed, driven by competition among nations and aerospace companies to achieve faster travel times globally. 

The Soviet Union was the first to set foot in the supersonic jet airliner age, launching the massive and problematic Tu-144 in 1968. The Tu-144 had a higher Mach 2.15 speed than the Concorde at Mach 2.04. However, it did not experience sustainable success , as it was very inefficient and way too costly to operate. The Tu-144 required afterburners throughout the flight and only flew one route from Moscow to Almaty. Two months later, the French-Anglo Concorde, with a more sustainable design, was ready for test flights.

Concordes aimed to reduce travel times significantly compared to subsonic airliners, catering to passengers willing to pay premium fares for expedited travel between major cities like London and New York. During the Cold War, Britain and France aimed to develop a commercial airliner capable of flying faster than the speed of sound. Due to the high costs involved, British developers partnered with their French counterparts to share the burden and expertise required for such an ambitious project. They pooled their resources by signing a bilateral treaty in 1962. 

The project was given the name "Concorde" in honor of the treaty struck by the governments of France and Britain, which enabled its building. Both the terms signify agreement, harmony, or union. By February 1965, construction of two Concorde prototypes had already begun; aircraft 001 built by Aérospatiale and 002 built by British Aircraft Corporation. Concorde 001 made its first test flight from Toulouse, France, on March 2, 1969.

The Concorde Enters Service 

The Concorde entered service with Air France and British Airways in 1976 and rose to fame in no time. It was the transatlantic talk of the town as it was staggeringly fast and luxurious, with excellent service, cuisine, and exclusive airport lounges. With speed and luxury came a hefty price tag of $12,000 for a round trip. Accounting for inflation that would amount to $66,000 today. Concorde shuttled wealthy and often high-profile customers. The supersonic aircraft's tagline, "Arrive Before You Leave," advertised its ability to fly faster than the time zones changed.

For most of the Concorde’s 27 years of service, the vast majority of the flights were along two routes: New York to London and New York to Paris. It did eventually expand its routes to include destinations in South America, Bahrain, and Singapore. Even though this expansion represented a significant milestone in the history of supersonic travel, showcasing the versatility and potential for Concorde's global connectivity, it quickly failed and only the two initial routes remained.

I was also delighted to discover a Concorde also made a historic chartered landing in my hometown of Kathmandu, Nepal, on October 11, 1987. A traveler chartered an Air France Concorde and wanted to touch down at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. It was historic because it was the first time a large plane flew over India to land in Kathmandu. A Nepal Television news report on this historic landing captures how people watched the landing from the roofs and balconies of their homes. The talk of the town was the fear that this enormous supersonic jet would shatter the windowpanes of their homes.

Where Did the Concordes Go?

It’s surreal to think about the time of supersonic commercial flight. The thought of being able to fly home to Kathmandu, Nepal, from DC in under 9 hours would be amazing!  Here, the question arises: If such a marvel exists, why are our international flights so long, sometimes over 14-16 hours? Where did the Concordes go? Despite being studied by 250 British aeronautical engineers for 5,000 hours (about seven months) of testing, Concorde flights came to a screeching halt after only 27 years of operation on October 24, 2003. The reason? Excessive cost, high fares, and loud noise. On a regular flight, Concordes consumed 6,771 gallons of fuel, which quickly exceeded the profit made from the flight. In addition to that, only a total of 20 Concordes were built and no airline ordered them except for Air France and British Airways, who had to as they were state-run airlines at the time.

Adding on to the unprofitable cost of operation, the restrictions of supersonic travel contributed to the downfall of the Concorde. Since they flew at twice the speed of sound, their flight was restricted to only flying over the ocean as it sent a strong shockwave  known as a sonic boom into the air that could shatter the glass of the houses if it flew over residential areas. Besides, when a Concorde flew over a city, it made a lot of noise, leading to numerous complaints every time. Moreover, the emerging environmental movement was entirely against the Concorde. What was once synonymous with supersonic and luxury soon became synonymous with noise and exhaust emissions. Due to concerns over its noise levels, the Concorde was restricted flying transatlantic routes, taking off and landing in New York, Washington, London, and Paris.  

Already facing challenges, the aircraft could not recover from the public relations disaster following the 2000 Concorde crash in France. This crash resulted in the loss of all passengers and crew aboard. A decline in international travel after the 9/11 attacks was the final straw, and the entire venture was halted in 2003.

Today, one of these beautiful birds is grounded at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. While you can't fly in Concordes anymore, you can see one up close — and even walk under it —at the Udvar-Hazy Center. 

What's Next for Supersonic Flight? 

Will we ever experience the thrill of supersonic commercial travel again? Considering the remarkable advancements we've seen in the last 15 years, I hope the answer will be a yes. However, for supersonic flying to make a comeback, the sonic boom would have to be transformed into a quiet thump, and all the features that make a supersonic flight unique would have to be re-imagined. Several companies, such as Boom Supersonic and Spike Aerospace, are already working on reintroducing supersonic commercial flights.

In current conversations about the future of supersonic flights, safety has been the engineers' priority. Other focus areas have been directed toward noise cancellation, reduced emissions, and predictable durability through better utilization. The potential future of supersonic flights for everyday travelers is indeed exciting and I can’t wait to see what happens next.