Concorde - a ray of hope

[ozzy72]

This just in from Reuters.
Air France, Europe's second-largest airline, said it was halting Concorde flights from May 31, while British Airways, Europe's biggest airline, said it would stop commercial flights in the days leading up to the end of October. But rival carrier Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd said it would ask for British Airways' operational figures and if Virgin could make a success of the Concorde it would ask to buy the fleet for the price of one pound. "Having examined the figures, Virgin Atlantic, with its lower cost base, believes it can make a success of it, we will be asking British Airways to give it the planes for the same price that they were given them for -- one pound," Chairman Richard Branson said in a statement.

Maybe the old girl has some life in her yet

[Woodlouse2002]

Thats good. But a shame... Do you think Concorde will look good in virgin paint?

And

[Tequila Sunrise]

This is great, but how did BA get them for

[ozzy72]

The quid thing Craig was the French and English governments writing off all the development costs, and then naming a nominal sum the airlines had to pay.
As for Concorde in Virgins paint scheme, I can think of worse

Ozzy

[Rifleman]

Its awkward for me to think of something so long and sleek and having the end bob up and down, with the name " Virgin " on it...........especially after being so thoroughly screwed by the effects of terrorism on the airline industry.................

[ozzy72]

Ken you possess a singularly smutty mind, not gutter but sewer level. Congratualtions

[Maccers]

Virgin better be in for a slight dissapointment. If 6 of them cost a quid, im getting one of them for my back garden (Like to try to carry it back on the roof of my car! )
I doubt it will work, Concorde is certified to fly untill 2009, so virgin will never make a profit in 6 years. :-/

[Craig.]

i wont put a comment like the one i removed perhaps to harsh.
but i dont know what virgin is thinking about when they say they can make a profit using lower prices, even with a full load at BA's current prices concorde's profit margin wasnt all that much and required a few full loads a day to make it truely profitable.

[fleetwood77]

Sorry to hear about the Concorde.  Has anybody told Whitey!.  He'll be devastated..

Maybe NASA could buy the Concorde and use it for their next shuttle.  Another 20,000 ft, some extra pressurization fixes and some tiles underneath and they'd be set..  

[Rifleman]

Ken you possess a singularly smutty mind, not gutter but sewer level. Congratualtions

.............................

[Mr. Bones]

- keep some airworthy to visit airshows
- a few has to be stored in aviation museums
- let NASA buy some to do tests
- the same as for ESA
- maybe one for Edwards AFB so they can learn more about Europe's fine technology (kiss our ass  :P)
- one for in my garden, i'll make some space for it
- and what about the rest? let Virgin play with them, if they pay for it.

[Craig.]

a few things i have read round the net,
firstly if branson did get one or two he wouldnt be able to paint them up in the virgin livery because of the heat it would just peel off or melt(dont know which) that was the first i read about.
second one was BA could call his bluff and sell him them and watch branson have some serious back peddling when he realises just how much poorer he could be because of it.
another was southwest airlines what the f*ck were looking at getting one, why and how would they have a use for it, the plane couldnt go supersonic on any of the routes southwest flys let alone being able to afford to run it for more than a week.
i would love for it to stay flying but like i said, perhaps its time to put this one out to pasture. its a beautiful plane, perhaps the only plane almost anyone with eyes and ears could identify. but hey ya never know, i suppose we will know by october, one thing i am hoping is BA agree to giving one to filton as has been requested, seeing as it is its home base they really should, definatly be taking a drive up there to watch it come in if they do

[Whitey]

God damn...the one time I'm relying on Richard Branson... :-/...me and some other people in my classes were planning to outbid Branson out of the water anyway...we were going to chib in

[Tequila Sunrise]

Why would the paint melt of? (I know the answer ) If BA and Air France can paint the why not Virgin.

[Craig.]

i dont have a clue why, something to do with the type of paint that BA and air france use. plus the dark colors are kept to a minimum on both models. the heat would just strip it. or at least to constant heating then cooling of it? i dont have a clue, enlighten me:)