Max Kingsley-Jones/PARIS
Air France aims to begin the reintroduction of its Aerospatiale/BAC Concorde fleet in September. The carrier is preparing to start installation of the Kevlar/rubber fuel tank liners to clear the way for the return of the type's certificate of airworthiness (C of A) this summer.
Four of the French carrier's five remaining Concordes are undergoing preparation work in a hangar at Air France Industries' Paris Charles de Gaulle facilities. A fifth aircraft is in storage outside. Air France intends the airliner to resume service assuming the modifications allow return of the C of A, says Air France fleet development consultant for Concorde maintenance Pascal Menegat.
"We are undertaking repairs to the wing-spars - work that was already required prior to last July's accident." This repair was necessary after the discovery last year of fatigue cracks in spars on some British Airways aircraft.
"We are also undertaking preparatory work to the fuel tanks to gain access for the installation of liners as soon as they are delivered," says Menegat, who adds that Concorde F-BVFB is earmarked to be the first French machine to undergo the liner installation. The airline hopes to have two aircraft modified to resume services in September, with the re-introduction of the single roundtrip between Paris and New York Kennedy. "We will ultimately have an operational fleet of four aircraft," says Menegat. "A fifth airframe will be undergoing a continuous maintenance check."
BA is leading the prototype liner installation on Concorde G-BOAF at London Heathrow. Once the modification is approved, liner manufacture for the 11 BA and Air France aircraft will be up and running.
BA aims to reinstate Concorde services in June. "We have received 70% of the kits for the proof-of-concept modification," says BA Engineering technical and quality director Jim O'Sullivan. "The prototype modification has taken us three months - subsequent ones will take about 40 days," he adds.
Menegat says that Air France aims to refurbish its Concordes, although a decision on installing a new interior has not been made. There are no plans to adopt the strengthened undercarriage water deflectors fitted to BA's aircraft, as they are not mandatory, he adds.
Before the accident, Air France had planned to operate Concorde until 2015, but now "every issue regarding Concorde's obsolescence is being examined," says Menegat.
Source: Flight International
