CONCORDE: WHITE ELEPHANT TO GOLDEN EAGLE

CONCORDE 50th ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE

Captain Jock Lowe tells editor Dino Carrara how the British Airways Concorde fleet was saved from retirement in the 1980s by a fresh strategy that transformed the supersonic airliner into a money-spinner.

Concorde Division capitalised on the aircraft’s good looks and speed to turn around the perception of the aircraft.
WO Rick Brewell (ret’d)/MOD

Since entering service with British Airways (BA) in 1975 the Concorde fleet had been making a loss. First officer instructor (later captain) Jock Lowe thought the carrier was not maximising the aircraft’s potential. So, he gave some presentations (arranged through the British Airline Pilots’ Association representative Mark Young) to BA directors. In May 1982, the airline was reorganised into profit centres and the Concorde Division was among them.

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