Stardate 20010716.0847 (On Screen): After a disastrous crash in Paris, all the Concordes were grounded. Since they they've undergone massive testing and now BA is about to make a test flight with a Concorde, preparatory to beginning commercial flights again.
I don't know why they're bothering. The Concorde's problem was a combination of low passenger capacity and very high operating expense, which meant that to break even it would need to charge a very high price per seat. While it's true that it can cross the Atlantic in half the time of a 747, the 747 can charge a quarter the ticket price, and its 10 hour flight is not really onerous. As a result, BA and the other airlines which have operated the Concorde have routinely lost money on every flight, even when full. Why are they straining to bring a proven money loser back online? (discuss)
Update 20010722: I stand corrected. It seems that they were charging $9000 (!!) for a round trip ticket, and at that exorbitant price it would indeed have been able to operate it profitably.
