Concorde histories and aircraft on display

Concorde

Company type	Supersonic passenger airliner
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1969
Headquarters	Toulouse and Filton , France and United Kingdom
Products	Supersonic passenger aircraft

Twenty Concorde airplanes were constructed: comprising two prototypes, two pre-production models, two development units, and 14 production aircraft intended for commercial operations. Apart from two production planes—one dismantled in 1994 and another destroyed in the Air France Flight 4590 accident in 2000—all others have been preserved, primarily within museum collections.

Prototypes

A total of six "development" aircraft were manufactured: two prototypes (001/002), two pre-production units (101/102), and two development production models (201/202). The prototypes served to confirm the supersonic flight design principles and to broaden the operational flight parameters.

• F-WTSS (001) conducted its maiden flight on 2 March 1969. After completing 397 flights accumulating 812 hours—of which 255 were supersonic—it was retired in October 1973 to the French air museum at Le Bourget Airport. This aircraft was specially adapted for the 1973 solar eclipse mission by adding rooftop viewing windows, facilitating an extended airborne eclipse observation lasting approximately 74 minutes. It remains preserved showcasing this unique livery.

• G-BSST (002) took its first flight on 9 April 1969, departing from Bristol Filton Airport to RAF Fairford. Its final journey was in March 1976 when it was transferred to the Fleet Air Arm Museum at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton. During its service, it completed 438 flights totaling 836 hours, including 196 supersonic missions.

Pre-production aircraft

The two pre-production models were instrumental in refining the Concorde’s design, implementing modifications such as adjustments to wing shape, enhanced fuel storage capacity, updated engine specifications, and improved air intake mechanisms.

• G-AXDN (101) had its inaugural flight on 17 December 1971 from Filton. After flying 269 times for a total of 632 hours—168 of which were supersonic—it was retired and placed on display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, England.

• F-WTSA (102) first took to the skies on 10 January 1973 from Toulouse. Notably, it was the first aircraft featuring production-standard characteristics and the initial Concorde to visit the United States on 20 September 1973 in Dallas. Painted with British Airways livery on one side and Air France on the other, this plane flew 314 times totaling 656 hours, including 189 supersonic hours. It was retired in May 1976 and is now exhibited at Orly Airport in Paris.

Development aircraft

Significant differences existed between production models and prototypes, necessitating full re-certification for the former.

• F-WTSB (201) made its first flight on 6 December 1973 from Toulouse. Its final flight occurred in April 1985 after accumulating a total of 909 flight hours. This aircraft is currently exhibited at the Aeroscopia museum located near Airbus facilities in Toulouse.

• G-BBDG (202) commenced flying on 13 December 1974 from Filton to RAF Fairford. Having logged 1,282 hours before its last flight in December 1981, it was subsequently stored at Filton as a source of spare parts for British Airways. In 2004, it was relocated to the Brooklands Museum in Surrey where it underwent restoration and was opened for public viewing in 2006.

British production aircraft

British Airways operated a total of seven Concorde aircraft in production:

• G-BOAC (204) – Recognized as the fleet’s flagship due to its BOAC registration, it first took to the skies on 27 February 1975 from Filton. Its final commercial flight occurred on 18 October 2003, followed by a last journey on 31 October 2003 to Manchester Airport, where it is presently exhibited inside a "glass hangar." This aircraft accumulated 22,260 flight hours during its service.

• G-BOAA (206) – This Concorde was initially flown on 5 November 1975 from Filton. It notably participated in a display with the Red Arrows in 1996 to commemorate Heathrow’s 50th anniversary. After completing its last commercial flight on 12 August 2000 with a total of 22,768 flight hours, it was retired without any modifications following the Paris crash and subsequently transported by land and sea to the National Museum of Flight at East Fortune.

• G-BOAB (208) – Taking its maiden flight on 18 May 1976, this aircraft’s final journey was a positioning flight on 15 August 2000 after logging 22,296 hours. It was never altered after the Paris incident and remains stationed at Heathrow, where it was utilized for testing the 'Project Rocket' cabin interior. Following restoration work, it now functions as a training platform for British Airways apprentices.

• G-BOAD (210) – First airborne on 25 August 1976, this Concorde operated jointly with Singapore Airlines during the late 1970s. It holds the record for the quickest Atlantic crossing by a Concorde, completing it in 2 hours, 52 minutes, and 59 seconds in 1996. The last revenue flight took place on 22 October 2003. It was moved via barge to the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York and later relocated to Floyd Bennett Field before returning to Pier 86 in Manhattan in 2008. After undergoing maintenance in 2023, it received a fresh paint scheme. G-BOAD logged the highest number of flight hours among all Concordes at 23,397.

• G-BOAE (212) – This aircraft first flew on 17 March 1977 and participated in formation flying with the Red Arrows for the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. Its final commercial service was on 19 October 2003; its ultimate flight occurred in November 2003 to Barbados after amassing a total of 23,376 hours. It was displayed near Bridgetown until the exhibition closed in 2018.

• G-BOAG (214) – Having taken off for its first flight on 21 April 1978, this Concorde completed British Airways’ last Speedbird 2 route from New York on 24 October 2003. Its final flight to Seattle’s Museum of Flight took place on 5 November after receiving special clearance for supersonic travel over northern Canada. Restored with components from Air France’s F-BVFD, it recorded a total of 16,239 flight hours.

• G-BOAF (216) – The final Concorde constructed and retired by British Airways. First flown on 20 April 1979, it conducted its last revenue operation from New York to London Heathrow on 1 October 2003. Following this, it performed a distinguished "lap of honour" over London and southwest England before concluding service with a landing at Filton on 26 November 2003 after flying for a total of 18,257 hours. Currently, it serves as the main exhibit at Filton’s Aerospace Bristol museum. Additionally, a nose cone from G-BOAF is showcased within British Airways’ first-class lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5.

To mark its tenth anniversary in December 1985, British Airways organized a formation flight featuring G-BOAA, G-BOAC, G-BOAF, and G-BOAG for promotional purposes.

French production aircraft

Air France operated a total of seven Concorde aircraft in active service:

• F-BTSC (203) was involved in a fatal accident on 25 July 2000 near Le Bourget, France, resulting in 113 casualties. It is the sole Concorde ever lost in a crash. This aircraft first took to the skies on 31 January 1975 from Toulouse and accumulated 11,989 flight hours. It also appeared in the movie The Concorde... Airport '79.

• F-BVFA (205) had its maiden flight on 27 October 1975. In 1988, it achieved a record-setting round-the-world journey completed in 41 hours and 27 minutes. Its final commercial flight took place on 31 May 2003, followed by a ferry flight to the Smithsonian Institution's Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on 12 June 2003 after logging 17,824 hours.

• F-BVFB (207) first flew on 6 March 1976. After concluding its last revenue flight on 31 May 2003, it was sold for €1 to the Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum in Germany. Following its final flight to Karlsruhe-Baden Airpark, it was transported to be exhibited alongside a Tupolev Tu-144. This aircraft recorded 14,771 flight hours and is distinguished by being displayed next to another supersonic passenger airplane.

• F-BVFC (209) made its first flight on 9 July 1976. It flew its last commercial route on 30 May 2003 from New York to Paris and was retired after a concluding flight on 27 June 2003 to the Airbus facility in Toulouse. Having amassed 14,332 hours, it has been exhibited outdoors at the Aeroscopia museum since January 2015.

• F-BVFD (211) took off for the first time on 10 February 1977 but was retired early in May 1982 after accumulating only 5,814 hours due to excess fleet capacity and structural damage caused by a hard landing in Dakar. Stored outside and suffering corrosion, it was dismantled in 1994—the only Concorde scrapped—with parts preserved at Le Bourget and by private collectors.

• F-BTSD (213) had its inaugural flight on 26 June 1978. Retiring after its final revenue service on 31 May 2003, it is now exhibited at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace at Le Bourget. In 1996, this aircraft sported a Pepsi promotional livery costing approximately $20 million; operational speed limits were imposed due to paint heat sensitivity. It holds records for circumnavigating the globe westbound in under 33 hours and eastbound just over 31 hours and is notable as the only Concorde to have landed in Central America.

In February 2010, initiatives were announced to restore F-BTSD for taxi demonstrations under its own power, with teams inspecting engines aiming for display flights.

• F-BVFF (215) first flew on 26 December 1978 and was undergoing D-check maintenance during the grounding following the July 2000 crash. After Concorde service ended during refurbishment, it was cosmetically reassembled as a static exhibit without interior fittings. Its last flight was a charter to Paris Charles de Gaulle on 11 June 2000 after completing 12,421 hours.

List of aircraft

Out of the twenty Concordes constructed, eighteen remain extant, with sixteen available for public viewing. The G-BOAB is stored at London Heathrow Airport where it can be seen but not accessed by visitors. The G-BOAE is housed at the Concorde Experience in Barbados but has been closed since 2017.

Number	Registration	First Flight	Last Revenue Flight	Last Flight	Flight Hours	Current Status/Location
001	F-WTSS	2 March 1969	N/A	19 October 1973	812	Displayed at Musée de l'air et de l'espace, Le Bourget, France
002	G-BSST	9 April 1969	N/A	4 March 1976	836	Exhibited at Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton, England, UK
101	G-AXDN	17 December 1971	N/A	20 August 1977	632	On display at Imperial War Museum Duxford, England, UK
102	F-WTSA	10 January 1973	N/A	20 May 1976	656	Displayed at Musée Delta, Paris, France
201	F-WTSB	6 December 1973	N/A	19 April 1985	909	Exhibited at Aeroscopia, Toulouse, France
202	G-BBDG	13 February 1974	N/A	24 December 1981	1282	Displayed at Brooklands Museum, Weybridge, England, UK
203	F-BTSC	31 January 1975	25 July 2000	25 July 2000	11989	Destroyed in Air France Flight 4590 accident; remains stored at Le Bourget Airport
204	G-BOAC	27 February1975	18 October2003	31 October2003	22260	On exhibit at Manchester Airport, England, UK.
205	F-BVFA	27 October1975	31 May2003	12 June2003	17824	Displayed at Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Virginia, US
206	G-BOAA	5 November1975	12 August2000	12 August2000	22768	Located at National Museum of Flight, Scotland, UK
207	F-BVFB	6 March1976	31 May2003	24 June2003	14771	Exhibited at Sinsheim Auto & Technik Museum, Germany
208	G-BOAB	18 May1976	15 August2000	15 August2000	22296	Stored at Heathrow Airport, London, England, UK
209	F-BVFC	9 July1976	30 May2003	27 June2003	14332	Displayed at Aeroscopia Museum, Toulouse, France
210	G-BOAD	25 August1976	22 October2003	10 November2003	23397	On display at Intrepid Museum, New York City, US
211	F-BVFD	10 February1977	27 May1982	27 May1982	5814	Scrapped in1994; fuselage section preserved at Le Bourget; nose cone acquired by collector
212	G-BOAE	17 March1977	19 October2003	17 November2003	23376	Stored at Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados
213	F-BTSD	26 June1978	31 May2003	14 June2003	12974	On display at Musée de l'air et de l'espace, Le Bourget, France
214	G-BOAG  |21 April1978  |24 October2003  |5 November2003  |16239  |Exhibited at Museum of Flight, Seattle, Washington, US
215   |F-BVFF      |26 December1978       |> ?       |11 June2000         |>12421       >|On display at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France
216	>G-BOAF	>20 April1979	>1 October2003	>26 November2003	>18257	>Displayed at Aerospace Bristol, England, UK

External links

• British Airways Tribute to Concorde
• "Concorde's Final Journey" (BBC)
• Demonstration of G-AXDN's movable nose at Duxford, 2018