UK: Falling sales and rising cost could spell the end for iconic jet
British Airways has admitted that the future of its iconic Concorde jet is under review, because of rising costs and falling ticket sales.
The famous plane was grounded for a year after the Air France crash in Paris in July 2000, which left 114 people dead. The jet returned to service just over a year later, after a massive refit and upgrade including millions of pounds being spent on extra safety features.
But BA has now admitted that although Concorde is licensed to fly until 2009, the jet’s future is now uncertain because not enough people are prepared to pay the high fares charged by the carrier.
A spokesman for BA told the Daily Mail: “The retirement date of Concorde is under review. In the current commercial environment where business and premium brands are under increased pressure it is only prudent for us to think carefully about when we should retire Concorde. We will continue flying as long as Concorde is reliable and commercially viable.”
