Any Concorde rumors?
 

?

JohnAx,

Not a real useful post. Just a "?"?? There are some rumors out there I'm sure. Were you just curious in general? A search of the internet might yield more results.

However, you can learn lots of great things through the combined knowledge of everyone here. To do that it would help to have some context for your request for information.

As for me, I'm curious about the Concorde because next year I would like to redeem frequent flyer miles for a trip. This is my one chance to go Mach 2 and I'd like to do it before metal fatigue sets in http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif.

I hope the planes are soon back online, and better yet that BA offers a "mileage sale" to encourage folks back on.

I doubt you will see the plane fly anytime soon, if at all. The cost to fix the "problem" most likely will cause BA and AF to retire their entire fleet. BA does make money off their planes but if they have to reinforce the fuel tanks, the extra weight will make it very hard to turn a profit.

Well, I couldn't think of anything to say that didn't repeat the title. I'm a man of few words and was hoping someone in a position of knowledge would jump in and share it with the rest of us.

MSNBC just carried a story about AF ferrying one back from JFK. They commented about the cost of design changes, suggesting they would be prohibitive. I work in aerospace, and when someone wants us to make design changes to something we built a long time ago our quote has a lot of zeros, so that's a serious concern.

First someone has to scope the mods. If BA's engineers decide (and convince the authorities) that reinforcing the wing tanks with flak-jacket material is all that's needed, and are comfortable doing that in-house, we'll see them in the air again. If they have to go back to the factory (is there still a consortium?) my uninformed guess would be that the quote they'd get wouldn't get by their financial people.

Of course, if we could convince Clinton or his successor that he needs one to be Air Force One, the budgetary picture would change. Anyone got his ear?

I am sorry you even mentioned Clinton and the Concorde.

He spent enough on his AirForce One jaunts around the World at $1.4 million a takeoff to pay for one instead of staying home and doing the work the people elected him to do.

Stranded Concorde Returns to France
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/trave...rde000921.html

And how does that compare to the other, previous users of AF-1?

/Pete

Hey, I too missed my ride, we were booked Sept. 6. Not much comfort from BA - couldn't even beg a tour, using the 9-year-old's birthday as an excuse. I could make a long list of worse things to spend our taxes on.

As a tangent, the WSJ had an article on Friday about how FFs are going to have a tough time redeeming miles for first class and perhaps even business class tickets to London (and presumably Paris) now that all the high-paying fares must fly at a meager 600 mph across the Atlantic.

I presume BA and AF will try flying again, AF flew it's 5th concorde from JFK back to CDG this week and I suppose they didn't do that make the news but to do some "long due repairs" Scrapping it in the US or selling it to a museum would have been cheaper than flying it back... All I can say is I hope she flies again (:

BA Contacts at LHR tell me there is a rumour circulating of a November resumption of Concorde Flights.

Good news.

From an economic viewpoint I would think that there is a significant case for resuming utilizing these aircraft. Basically all of the pre-crash costs associated with these aircraft can be considered sunk costs. Operating costs shouldn't change much. The incremental costs going forward are simply the costs associated with modifying the aircraft to make them more "safe", perhaps some increased Lloyd's insurance costs and the extra media spend required to convince potential passengers of that. I would think that those costs amortized over just a few more years' operation will more than justify putting them back into service.

That's just one rational argument. Others are free to debate the more emotional issues involved.

The preliminary accident investigation report. Sounds like there were between a rock and a hard spot.

http://212.155.144.30/docs/anglais/h...c000725pa.html

Continental to be sued for Concorde disaster


From the Globe and Mail


Continental to be sued for Concorde disaster


Reuters News Agency
Thursday, September 28, 2000


Paris -- Air France and its insurers are suing Continental Airlines over its possible role in the July Concorde disaster that killed 113 people, a spokeswoman for the French carrier said yesterday.

French investigators believe a strip of metal fell off a Continental DC-10 at the Paris airport and punctured a wheel on the Air France Concorde during its takeoff, causing the fiery crash.

"A piece from a Continental Airlines plane could have caused the Concorde accident, according to the inquiry," the Air France spokeswoman said, adding that, under French law, airlines are legally responsible for any parts that drop off their aircraft.

A lawyer representing relatives of 20 of those killed is planning similar legal action against the U.S. airline.

Continental said Tuesday that it was aware litigation was being prepared against it, but said there is no definite proof that a part from one of its jets was responsible for the crash.

Air France and its insurer, the Réunion Aerienne consortium, lodged their suit at a court in Pontoise, outside Paris.

An insurance source said Réunion Aerienne wanted Continental to cover all costs of the disaster.

German lawyer Christof Wellens said yesterday he would file suit against Continental in Houston, its U.S. base, on behalf of the relatives.

The link
http://archives.theglobeandmail.com/s97is.vts?action=View&VdkVgwKey=%2Fhome6%2Fusr%2Fl ocal%2Fgam%2Fsearch%2Fhtml%2F20000928%2FCONCNY%2Eh tml&DocOffset=1&DocsFound=1&QueryZip=a ir+fra nce&Collection=TGAM&SortField=sortdate&ViewTemplat e=GAMDocView%2Ehts&SearchUrl=http%3A%2F%2Farchives %2Etheglobeandmail%2Ecom%2Fs97is%2Evts%3FQueryZip% 3Dair%2Bfrance%26ResultTemplat e%3DGAMResults%252Ehts%26QueryText%3Dair%2Bfrance% 26Collection%3DTGAM%26SortField%3Dsortdate%26ViewT emplate%3DGAMDocView%252Ehts%26ResultStart%3D1%26R esultCount%3D10&

[This message has been edited by back seat (edited 09-28-2000).]