From kls Mon Nov 3 19:20:04 1997 Newsgroups: sci.aeronautics.airliners,misc.transport.air-industry Path: bounce-back Date: 03 Nov 97 19:20:04 From: westin*nospam@graphics.cornell.edu (Stephen H. Westin) Subject: Re: Concorde's other customers References: Message-ID: Approved: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM Sender: kls@ohare.Chicago.COM Organization: Program of Computer Graphics -- Cornell University libove@felines.org (Jay Vassos-Libove) writes: > A recent post here about orders placed for Boeing's '2707' SST > (prior to the program's cancellation) got a reply which indicated > a laundry list of airlines, US and foreign, which had also placed > orders for the Concorde. > > This raised the question in my mind: Why did no airlines other than > BA and AF ever actually get any Concordes, since there were a dozen > or more orders for it from other airlines? Because by the time it was ready for delivery (in 1974?) the airline industry was in a nasty slump, there had been an oil crisis, and everyone canceled orders. Remember that Pan Am was the third launch customer; they had already started their long slide into bankruptcy by '74. Oh, and U.S. airports were refusing landing rights due to noise considerations, so the transatlantic routes for which the plane was designed weren't available. By the time these restrictions were lifted, in '76, it was, regrettably, all over for Concorde. I suspect that paying whatever penalties were involved was deemed cheaper than taking delivery and actually trying to fly the things. BA and AF were, of course, government-owned airlines, and carrying through was a way of saving face. I believe they lost money in service for some years. -- -Stephen H. Westin Any information or opinions in this message are mine: they do not represent the position of Cornell University or any of its sponsors.