Concorde once shortened the London - New York flight to about three hours, but high costs and limited routes caused the plane to stop operating in 2003.
Concorde was one of the first airliners capable of flying faster than the speed of sound. The aircraft has a maximum cruise speed of about 2,178 km/h, shortening travel time on long routes.
The plane made its first flight in 1969, first crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 1973 and began commercial operation in 1976. British Airways and Air France are the two airlines that put Concorde into regular operation.
One of the main reasons why Concorde could not maintain long-term operations was cost. The plane consumes a lot of fuel, requires separate maintenance procedures and can only carry about 100 passengers. Concorde ticket prices are kept high to cover costs. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, a round-trip ticket between New York and London used to cost about $7,574 in 1996, while a round-trip economy ticket today costs about $800.
This price makes Concorde a service for passengers with high affordability. Not every flight reaches maximum capacity, while operating costs remain. High ticket prices cause the market to shrink. Many airlines placed orders but then canceled them, and in the end, only Air France and British Airways operated.
The aviation industry landscape also changed after Concorde went into operation. The oil crisis of the 1970s caused fuel prices to increase sharply. Airlines are turning to larger, more fuel-efficient planes like the Boeing 747, which can carry more passengers at a lower cost per seat. Concorde had a speed advantage, but no cost advantage.
Another limitation lies in the characteristics of supersonic aircraft. When Concorde exceeded the speed of sound, it created a sonic boom, affecting people and structures on the ground. Therefore, many countries limit or ban supersonic aircraft from flying over land.
Concorde could mainly fly at supersonic speeds over the ocean. Important routes focus on transatlantic routes such as London - New York and Paris - New York.
This limitation reduces the number of routes Concorde can operate. While conventional aircraft can extend their network to many cities, Concorde is dependent on a few routes that suit operating conditions and noise regulations.
Noise also directly affects aircraft operations. One Concorde takeoff was recorded at 119.4 decibels, close to the 120 decibel level of thunder. This is one of the reasons why airport areas restrict the operation of this type of aircraft.
On July 25, 2000, Air France Flight 4590 crashed shortly after taking off from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris en route to New York. The plane carried 100 passengers and 9 crew members. During takeoff, a tire of the main landing gear hit a piece of metal on the runway, believed to have fallen from a plane that had taken off before.
The tire was broken, pieces were thrown into the fuel tank area, causing the fuel tank to puncture and catch fire. The engine had trouble, the plane lost control and crashed into a hotel. All 109 people on the plane and 4 people on the ground died. This was the only fatal accident in the history of Concorde operations, but the incident affected passenger confidence and increased aircraft maintenance and operating costs.
After more than two decades of exploitation, Concorde also entered a period of deterioration. Airplanes were developed in the 1960s, and by the early 2000s, maintenance was more difficult and expensive. In 2003, Air France and British Airways respectively stopped operating Concorde.
Concorde did not fail technologically, but mainly suffered from problems of cost and exploitation. The aircraft has demonstrated its ability to carry passengers beyond the speed of sound in commercial operations. However, this model faces many limitations in cost, number of passengers, routes and noise, making Concorde no longer suitable for the economic problems of the aviation industry in the early 21st century.
After Concorde ceased operations, the idea of a supersonic passenger aircraft continued to be researched. Some businesses are developing a new generation of aircraft with the goal of reducing noise and costs, opening up the possibility of bringing supersonic aviation back in the future.
