Concorde roars into history with final flight

ROISSY, France -- Passengers dined on caviar and foie gras Friday as the Concorde, the world's fastest and most luxurious passenger jet, flew from Paris to New York for the last time.

The Sierra Delta -- Concordes have names, not numbers -- took off from Charles de Gaulle airport at 10:38 a.m. As the wheels left the tarmac, it was already doing 236 mph. Seconds later, it was a point on the horizon.

It landed at New York's JKF airport about 3 1/2 hours later -- a standard performance for the world's only supersonic passenger jet.

"It's very emotional. Concorde is a story of joy, of emotion, of technical prowess," said Jean-Pierre Lefebvre, an Air France staffer, before the flight took off.

Air France is retiring its Concorde fleet when the plane returns to Paris Saturday, its last commercial flight. The only other airline to offer the Concorde is British Airways, which flies the aircraft between London and New York. It too plans to scrap its Concorde fleet at the end of October.

Both carriers say they can no longer afford the plane's high maintenance costs.

The Concorde's demise ends an era of Champagne at twice the speed of sound.

The distinctive white aircraft with its delta wings, slightly arched head and needle nose was the essence of elite air travel for more than a quarter-century. An unrestricted one-way ticket on the Concorde costs $6,000.

The Concorde's demise follows the July 25, 2000, accident over Gonesse, France, just after take off that killed 113 people, including four on the ground. The aircraft was taken out of service until November 2001, and refurbished based on findings by investigators.

The probe determined that a stray piece of metal on the runway punctured a tire. Rubber chunks then punctured the fuel tank, triggering a fire. The Concorde was fixed with sturdier tires and a fuel-tank liner, but things were never the same.

Flying fears after the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, took a toll on airlines around the world, making it harder to keep the fancy flying machine in service.

The rich pampered themselves with supersonic travel. Concorde also served on-the-go diplomats like French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin and executives making deals on both sides of the Atlantic. Star chef Alain Ducasse was one of 58 passengers on Friday's flight.

Pascal Leborgne says he belongs to another category of Concorde clients.

"The passion is really the technology," said Leborgne before passing through a metal detector and settling into his seat. "On board you don't really realize the speed you are doing. "

The luxury aircraft began regular service in 1976. The cruising speed is 1,350 mph. Only 20 were built, with 12 remaining in service, all operated by the two companies.

One of Air France's five planes will be on exhibit at Charles de Gaulle airport and the other four are to go to various museums, Air France said.