Fact Sheet: Concorde


  • Concorde was the world’s first supersonic airliner
  • A specification for the Anglo-French Mach 2.2 airliner was published in October 1962
  • Concorde 001 made her maiden flight on 2 March 1969. Concorde 002 took to the air for the first time one month later on 9 April 1969
  • The first Concorde to be delivered to British Airways – 206: G-BOAA – arrived on 14 January 1976
  • Concorde entered commercial service on 21 January 1976. British Airways opened up a London to Bahrain service with G-BOAA and Air France launched a Paris to Rio service via Dakar with F-BVFA
  • The airline’s second Concorde, 204: G-BOAC - which is now in retirement at Manchester Airport’s Aviation Viewing Park – was delivered one month later on 13 February 1976
  • During flight Concorde could stretch between 15 and 25 centimetres due to heating of the airframe. She is painted in a specially developed white paint to accommodate these changes and to dissipate the heat generated by supersonic flight
  • Concorde’s top cruising height was 60,000 ft – that’s more than 11 miles above the surface of the Earth
  • Concorde could accelerate from 0-225 mph in 30 seconds. She could travel faster than the earth rotates.
  • More than 2.5 million people travelled on Concorde since she started commercial passenger services in 1976
  • The first flight to New York was on 22 November 1977
  • On 11 August 1999 two British Airways Concordes flew in a supersonic formation to chase the total eclipse of the sun
    35,500 people travelled on Concorde since her re-launch in November 2001
  • Concorde’s most frequent passenger, an oil company executive, clocked up almost 70 round trip transatlantic crossings a year
  • All seven aircraft in the British Airways Concorde fleet visited Manchester during their 27 years in commercial service, making a total of 413 flights to and from Manchester Airport.

Concorde G-BOAC Facts

  • Concorde - 204: G-BOAC is now in retirement at Manchester Airport’s Aviation Viewing Park
  • Government authority for the production of G-BOAC was given in December 1969
  • Concorde G-BOAC (affectionately known as ‘Alpha Charlie’) became the second aircraft to join the UK’s Concorde fleet when she was delivered to British Airways on 13 February 1976
  • Despite the fact that G-BOAC was the second Concorde to be delivered, she is considered to be the flagship of the fleet as she carries the registration plate BOAC – which were the initials of British Overseas Airways Corporation, the airline that merged with BEA (British European Airways) to form British Airways. She was also the Concorde used by the Royal Family, heads of state and the rich and the famous.
  • The aircraft made its first flight on 27 February 1975 and began its ‘endurance’ flying on 7 July that year taking in Bahrain, Bombay, Kuala Lumpur,Singapore, Melbourne, Beirut, Gander and Damascus
  • On 1 September 1975, G-BOAC became the first aircraft to make four Atlantic crossings in one day. It flew between London and Gander, Newfoundland
  • After months of discussions between the UK and US Governments, Alpha Charlie was the first Concorde in commercial service to land on US soil at Washington Dulles airport on 24 May 1976
  • On 19 December 1985, G-BOAC travelled at 1,488 mph, the highest recorded ground speed for a commercial airliner
  • To mark 10 years in service, four British Airways Concordes – including G-BOAC – flew in formation over the Atlantic
    G-BOAC operated flights BA001 and BA002 to and from New York on 23 July 2002. These flights marked the return of British Airways Concordes to commercial passenger service following an extensive refit
  • During its 27 years in commercial service, Concorde G-BOAC visited Manchester Airport on 19 occasions. The first was on 4 December 1987 and the last was on 17 September 1999. Both were charter flights.
  • The aircraft also attended the opening of Terminal 3 at the airport in April 1998
  • Her final touchdown at Manchester Airport was after her farewell flight from Heathrow to her new home on 31 October 2003. She has been on permanent display at the Aviation Viewing Park and open to the public since April 2004 and thousands of people - not only from the UK but from all over the world – have come to marvel at her special glamour.

Manchester Airport Concorde Visitor Centre Facts

  • Construction of the Concorde Visitor Centre began in December 2008 to protect the historic and much-loved aircraft from the elements.
    British Airways Chief Executive, Willie Walsh and Manchester Airport Group’s Chief Executive, Geoff Muirhead CBE officially opened the new
  • Concorde Visitor Centre on 25 February 2009.
  • The new 2574 sq m visitor centre also includes a corporate hospitality suite, an education centre for local schools and a glass-walled visitor restaurant alongside Concorde, with views of Manchester Airport’s runways.
  • The launch of the hangar is especially significant due to its environmental features. Since the launch of Manchester Airport’s environment plan in 2006, all designers have been tasked with ensuring that all new buildings are carbon efficient, which is why the Concorde Visitor Centre includes emerging technologies such as biomass heating fuelled by willow crops grown on the airport site. The hangar also utilises, rainwater harvesting and visible solar panels to capture the sun’s energy and heat the water system.
  • Financially these additions will save thousands of pounds and up to 80% of the mains water costs.
  • The solar tubes will also work in conjunction with the biomass boiler and provide hot water in the summer months. This technology reduces the biomass fuel consumption of the boiler by 15%. The panels are also virtually maintenance-free and have a life expectancy in excess of 30 years.
  • The visitor centre is open to the public, and guides are available to escort visitors on a variety of tours of this iconic aircraft now inside its new home
  • For school parties, they are able to provide information and literature that links directly to the National Curriculum, making the facility a unique way of ensuring that the magic of the Concorde fleet is passed on to new generations of international travellers.
  • For pre-bookable Concorde tours or call 0161 489 3932.