FOR those who can remember the maiden flight of Concorde, the prospect that the aircraft might never fly again is a poignant one. However, it is astonishing that it has lasted so long. As the world's only supersonic passenger aircraft, Concorde has always seemed to be at the cutting edge of aviation technology. Yet it is the product of another age.
That first flight on a Sunday afternoon in 1969 was watched by millions on black and white television sets. It was an era when pilots were called Trubshaw and a suitably-awed commentary was delivered in cut glass accents by the likes of Raymond Baxter. Concorde was the technological legacy of the Swinging Sixties, an icon of post-war optimism. If it really is the end for Concorde, it will be a shattering blow to the morale of British aviation and to all those who felt pride at the aircraft's realisation of the dream of supersonic flight.
Optimists will cling to the hope that the design flaws uncovered by the investigation into the Air France disaster can be rectified. But while this might allow Concorde to make guest appearances for air shows and special charters, it might not be enough to restore it to daily scheduled services on the world's busiest air route. When airlines say that safety is their paramount concern, they are not just pandering to the phobias of anxious flyers, they are stating a hard business fact. No big player can risk a reputation for poor safety if it wants to survive.
This is the brutal commercial truth facing British Airways. Concorde is its flagship. In much of the world, the aircraft and airline are regarded as synonymous. BA has traded on this for years, using Concorde's associations with technical excellence and elite travel to symbolise a natural superiority over its rivals. However, if the instinctive public reaction to Concorde is transformed from wonder to fear then, after 24 years, it is a flagship BA may well feel is overdue for retirement. Managers recognise that in the wake of the CAA decision, every detail of Concorde safety - no matter how minor - would command media attention, and they will question how much damage such publicity could inflict on the airline as a whole.
BA's seven-strong Concorde fleet makes a worthwhile profit for the airline, estimated to be between £20 million and £40 million. In the context of the airline's £9 billion turnover, this is not vast and was already under threat this year because of spiralling fuel bills. If putting Concorde back in the sky were to entail increases in the aircraft's already high maintenance costs as a result of CAA instructions, then the financial arguments for putting the great white bird out of its misery might grow stronger still.
There is a further danger that public concern about safety in the United States could lead to the Federal Aviation Administration withdrawing landing permission in New York. If that were to happen, Concorde would be well and truly doomed as noise considerations would make alternative destinations unviable. Such an outcome would be extremely sad for the legion of fans worldwide.
