Seattle Museum Will Be Home to Only Concorde on West Coast

British Airways announced in London Thursday the donation of a supersonic Concorde jet to The Museum of Flight in Seattle (WA). The aircraft will be flown from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Seattle's King County International Airport November 5th. The aircraft will be one of only four Concordes on display outside of Europe.

"We are delighted to be able to share Concorde with the public here in the Pacific Northwest and with our visitors from around the world," said Museum president and CEO Ralph Bufano. "This exciting airplane represents the pinnacle of technological achievement in commercial air transportation, and it is highly fitting that this historic type joins other airliners in our world-class collection such as the Douglas DC-2 prototype; the Boeing 727, 737 and 747 prototypes; and the only de Havilland Comet in North America." The British-built Comet was the world's first commercial jetliner.

The Concorde will be on permanent public display from the time of its arrival in Seattle. The aircraft cockpit and cabin will be open to the public as soon as interpretive signage can be installed and arrangements made to preserve the aircraft from wear and tear. The Concorde will be parked in the Museum's outdoor gallery along with America's first presidential jet (a Boeing 707), the 747 prototype and other significant jets. Eventual plans call for the enclosure of all these aircraft in a very large Commercial Aviation Wing, which will be the third and final phase of the Museum's ongoing major expansion.

"As we retire Concorde after more than 27 years of exemplary service with British Airways, it gives us great satisfaction to know that we are sending it to such a good home in Seattle," commented Rod Eddington, the airline's chief executive. "The Museum of Flight is internationally known for the significance of its collection and the high standards of stewardship it maintains for the aircraft in its care. We are excited about the Museum's plans for telling the British Airways Concorde story to generations of visitors to come.

"Concorde, which first flew in April 1969, has been the world's only supersonic jetliner since 1978, when the Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 was withdrawn from passenger service. With a cruising speed of more than twice the speed of sound -- around 1,350 mph -- Concorde can carry 100 passengers from New York to London in less than three-and-a-half hours at altitudes of up to 60,000 feet. Developed jointly by the governments of Great Britain and France, Concorde was flown only by British Airways (and its predecessor BOAC) and Air France. The latter airline retired Concorde from commercial service in May 2003; British Airways' Concorde made its final commercial flight on Oct. 24. Since entering service in 1976, more than 2.5 million British Airways passengers have flown faster than sound on Concorde.

FMI: www.museumofflight.org