Concorde’s Final Scheduled Day: Three Aircraft Return to Heathrow

Accident Facts

On 24 October 2003, three British Airways Concordes returned to Heathrow within minutes of one another, bringing scheduled supersonic passenger service to an end. The aircraft were G-BOAE, returning from Edinburgh; G-BOAF, completing a supersonic round-the-Bay-of-Biscay flight; and G-BOAG, operating the final scheduled transatlantic service from New York.

The day was carefully planned as a final sequence rather than a single flight. G-BOAE had been used for the UK farewell tour and departed Heathrow for Edinburgh before returning to London. G-BOAF performed a special round-the-bay flight carrying staff and VIP guests. G-BOAG operated BA002 from New York with Captain Mike Bannister and Senior First Officer Jonathan Napier on the final scheduled transatlantic service.

The three aircraft were brought back to Heathrow in close succession. Concorde retirement records place G-BOAE first, G-BOAF second and G-BOAG last. The final arrival of G-BOAG at about 16:05 GMT marked the end of scheduled supersonic passenger transportation by British Airways.

The final day had a strong operational component as well as a ceremonial one. The aircraft still had to be flown, sequenced and landed normally. The airport environment was crowded with spectators and aviation enthusiasts, while the crews and controllers were handling the same fundamental tasks they had performed throughout Concorde's service life. The difference was that these were the final scheduled passenger arrivals.

The retirement had been announced months earlier. British Airways said the decision was driven by commercial considerations, including falling passenger revenue and rising maintenance costs. The end of the service therefore was not caused by an operational emergency on 24 October. It was the final stage of a planned retirement of an aircraft whose economics had become increasingly difficult to sustain.

The three arrivals at Heathrow were not, however, the final flights ever made by British Airways Concorde aircraft. G-BOAG subsequently flew to Seattle for preservation, G-BOAE later flew to Barbados, and G-BOAF made the final Concorde flight of all on 26 November 2003, when it left Heathrow for Filton. The distinction matters: 24 October ended scheduled passenger service, while 26 November ended Concorde flying altogether.

For the radio recordings and the people listening around Heathrow, the significance of the final arrivals was therefore immediate even though the aircraft would continue to move afterward. G-BOAG's landing closed the commercial chapter. The later ferry flights preserved the aircraft, but they could not reopen the era that had ended on Runway 27R that afternoon.

Sources

• Concorde SST — British Airways retirement record
• Concorde SST — retirement diary
• Heritage Concorde — G-BOAG
• Heritage Concorde — G-BOAE