British Airways announces retirement homes for Concorde

Following last weeks emotional and final commercial flight for Concorde, British Airways today announced the locations where it intends to retire its fleet of history making supersonic aircraft.

British Airways stated that final negotiations are under way to house the seven Concordes at the following locations:

- Airbus UK, Filton Bristol
- Manchester Airport
- Museum of Flight, near Edinburgh
- Heathrow Airport
- The Museum of Flight, Seattle, US
- The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, New York, US
- Grantley Adams Airport, Bridgetown, Barbados

British Airways’ chief executive Rod Eddington said: ”Since we announced the retirement of Concorde we have received a wide variety of interesting proposals from organisations wanting to give the aircraft permanent homes.

“We have chosen the final homes based a number of criteria: their ability to properly exhibit and preserve the aircraft, their geographical location and accessibility to the public.

“We are working closely with each of the new homes to make sure they show off each Concorde at her best.”

A technical feasibility study, headed by Captain Mike Bannister, Concorde chief pilot, as to whether a single Concorde can be maintained for non-commercial flying at public events, has been concluded.

Rod Eddington said: “A detailed study with Airbus has regrettably led us both to conclude that it would not be possible.

“The technical and financial challenges of keeping a Concorde airworthy are absolutely prohibitive. Airbus has told us that they are unable to support such a project, whether it be for British Airways or anyone else.

“While there is no prospect of operating an aircraft for flypasts and airshows, in the future Concorde will be accessible to the public with the majority of aircraft located in the UK.”

British Airways also announced today that it will be holding an auction of Concorde memorabilia on Monday, December 1. The auction, will be conducted by fine art auctioneers Bonhams, at Olympia Exhibition centre, in Kensington, and items will include a machmeter, a nose cone and Concorde pilot and passenger seats.

Profits from the auction will go to charity, with a key beneficiary being ‘Get Kids Going!’, a charity which gives disabled children and young people the opportunity to participate in sport.

The first Concorde to leave Heathrow will fly to Manchester airport on Friday, October 31. The other Concordes will leave to go to their new homes shortly after.