# Commercial Supersonics (DD-568) > Concorde was an Anglo-French supersonic airliner. A UK–France treaty of November 29, 1962 launched it, and it was developed and built by Sud Aviation (which became part of Aérospatiale in 1970) and the British Aircraft Corporation. The first prototype flew from Toulouse on March 2, 1969. Air France and British Airways began scheduled service on January 21, 1976, and New York JFK flights started on October 17, 1977. It had an ogival delta wing, a droop nose for landing visibility and four Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593 turbojets with afterburners. Its regular cruise was Mach 2.02, about 1,340 mph (2,150 km/h), with a maximum altitude of 60,000 ft. A New York–Paris flight took just under 3.5 hours, compared with about seven to eight hours on a subsonic jet. Its top speed was capped by heat: the aluminum skin could only tolerate about 127 °C. Only 20 were built, and Air France and British Airways were the only customers, with seven airframes each. Sonic booms kept supersonic flights over the sea. On July 25, 2000, Air France Flight 4590 crashed after takeoff from Paris, killing 113 people. It was Concorde's only fatal accident, and service resumed in November 2001. Both airlines retired the aircraft in 2003, citing rising maintenance costs, lower demand after the crash and the post-9/11 slump. Air France's last commercial flight was on May 30, 2003, and British Airways' was on October 24, 2003. Eighteen are preserved. No supersonic airliner has flown passengers since. On January 28, 2025, Boom Supersonic's XB-1 demonstrator broke the sound barrier over the Mojave Desert, a test for its planned Overture airliner. The footage shows a British Airways Concorde landing at night with its nose drooped. - Department: Tech (also History) - First published: 2025-05-11 - Last updated: 2025-05-11 - Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/commercial-supersonics/ - Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department ## On the timeline - **Nov. 29, 1962**: UK and France sign the Concorde treaty - **March 2, 1969**: Concorde 001 makes its first flight from Toulouse - **Jan. 21, 1976**: Air France and British Airways begin scheduled service - **July 25, 2000**: Air France Flight 4590 crashes near Paris - **Oct. 24, 2003**: British Airways flies the last commercial Concorde service - **Jan. 28, 2025**: Boom Supersonic's XB-1 demonstrator breaks the sound barrier Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=commercial-supersonics ## Quick facts - **DD-568-F01**: Concorde entered scheduled service on January 21, 1976. _(Write-up · Exhibit A (A treaty jet))_ - **DD-568-F02**: Only 20 Concordes were built. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (Twenty built))_ ## Write-up London to New York in 3.5 hours. Concorde cruised at twice the speed of sound for 27 years. 1. **A treaty jet**: Concorde began with a 1962 UK–France treaty and was built by Sud Aviation/Aérospatiale and BAC. 2. **Mach 2 cruise**: It cruised at Mach 2.02 at up to 60,000 ft, crossing the Atlantic in about 3.5 hours. 3. **Twenty built**: Only 20 were built, and Air France and British Airways flew all the commercial services. 4. **Retired in 2003**: British Airways flew the last commercial flight on October 24, 2003. 5. **Since then**: In January 2025, Boom's XB-1 demonstrator broke the sound barrier as a step toward a new airliner. ## Related case files - [XB-70 Valkyrie (DD-048)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/xb-70-valkyrie/): Its sonic booms fed the same concerns that limited Concorde - [Supersonic Striker (DD-036)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/supersonic-striker/): Another Mach 2 design from the same era ## Reel vs. record - **Note**: 'Operated from 1976 to 2003': scheduled service began on January 21, 1976. Air France's last commercial flight was on May 30, 2003, and British Airways' was on October 24, 2003. - **Note**: 'Cutting transatlantic flight times in half': more than half. New York–Paris took just under 3.5 hours, against about seven to eight hours on a subsonic jet. - **Note**: 'Mach 2, about 1,350 mph, or 2,180 kph': its regular cruise was Mach 2.02, about 1,340 mph (2,150 km/h). The higher figures are close to its maximum speed, which was limited by skin heating. - **Note**: 'Built by Aerospatiale and British Aircraft Corporation': Sud Aviation, which became part of Aérospatiale in 1970, and BAC developed it under a 1962 UK–France treaty. - **Missing**: only 20 were built, Air France and British Airways were the only customers, and sonic booms limited it to supersonic flight over the sea. The 2000 Flight 4590 crash was its only fatal accident. ## Video: Commercial Supersonics: London to New York in 3.5 Hours - Duration: 25.6 s · Published: 2025-05-11 - File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DJiFzvoS10U.mp4 ### Transcript DID YOU KNOW? The Concorde was a British-French supersonic passenger jet that operated from 1976 to 2003, known for cutting transatlantic flight times in half by cruising at Mach 2, about 1,350 mph, or 2,180 kph, at altitudes up to 60,000 feet. Built by Aerospatiale and British Aircraft Corporation, it became a symbol of luxury and technological achievement, serving elite routes like London to New York, and Paris to New York. NOW YOU KNOW! ## Questions & answers **Q: When did Concorde enter scheduled service?** A: On January 21, 1976, with Air France and British Airways. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A treaty jet) · Wikipedia: Concorde)_ **Q: How many Concordes were built?** A: Including prototypes and development aircraft. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Mach 2 cruise) · Wikipedia: Concorde)_ **Q: What was Concorde's regular cruising speed?** A: About 1,340 mph. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A treaty jet) · Wikipedia: Concorde)_ **Q: Which two airlines flew Concorde in regular service?** A: Each had seven airframes. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Mach 2 cruise) · Wikipedia: Concorde)_ **Q: In what year did Concorde make its last commercial flight?** A: British Airways, October 24, 2003. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (A treaty jet) · Wikipedia: Concorde)_ ## Sources - [Wikipedia: Concorde](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concorde) - [Boom Supersonic: Boom Achieves Supersonic Flight (January 28, 2025)](https://boomsupersonic.com/press-release/boom-achieves-supersonic-flight) - [NPR: Supersonic test is a boon for company aiming to build faster airliners (January 28, 2025)](https://www.npr.org/2025/01/28/nx-s1-5277020/supersonic-jet-boom-concorde-successor) ## Cite this case file Easterling, Marcus. "Commercial Supersonics." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-568, last updated May 11, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/commercial-supersonics/