BA chairman says Concorde stays grounded
UK: But British Airways still says there is no prospect of reviving service
Sir Richard Branson is still trying to get financial information on Concorde so he can decide whether to try to revive the supersonic jet – but British Airways still appears to be blocking the move.
As reported, Virgin Atlantic has offered to pay British Airways £1 for Concorde – the amount paid by the flag-carrier to the Government when it bought the fleet of jets from the Government – but BA has refused to entertain the offer.
According to the Independent, Sir Richard has written to the BA stating that he finds BA’s attitude “totally baffling”, and asking for a copy of BA’s last financial statement to the Government. He added: “If BA wants to stop flying Concorde that’s its commercial decision. I have no problem with that. But in the circumstances, why should that stop someone else from having a go at keeping this beautiful aircraft in the air. With Virgin Atlantic’s lower costs and marketing flair there must be a good chance we could make a go of it, even if BA can’t.”
Lord Marshall, chairman, British Airways, today issued the following response: “British Airways carried out an in-depth review of Concorde operations with the manufacturers. Regrettably this clearly established that there was no realistic prospect for the operation of Concorde services beyond October 2003 whether by us or any other operator.”
He also said the fleet cost British Airways considerably more than the sum of one pound which has appeared in the press recently: “In fact the British Airways Board paid the manufacturers over £155 million for the aircraft. Over the course of the succeeding 27 years, British Airways has invested in excess of £1 billion into the Concorde operation.”
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
In Italy, the Meloni government congratulates itself for its tourism achievements
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive