Air France and British Airways considered a last-minute plan for a joint international supersonic service, possibly involving British Airways' Oneworld alliance partner American Airlines, it has been revealed.
The late option, evaluated by the airlines as recently as early October, would have involved joint operations of a pool of Concorde aircraft to operate four main services. These would have included London to Barbados and New York, as well as Paris to Dubai and a North African destination, thought to be Morocco.
According to airline sources close to the study, the plan also evaluated the possible inclusion of American Airlines on a marketing and codeshare basis. The idea fizzled out mainly because of "insurmountable political hurdles", say the sources. The joint Concorde service study also included reactivating at least two of the younger, lighter French-built aircraft.
Meanwhile, Concorde's final flight across North America unofficially established a new speed record between New York and Seattle when G-BOAG was delivered to the Seattle Museum of Flight on 5 November.
The BA Concorde was granted last-minute rights late on 4 November by Transport Canada to operate through a special supersonic corridor, and touched down at Boeing Field, Seattle, 3h 55min 12s after take-off from New York.
Source: Flight International
