British Airways could sell last Concorde to Dubai
British Airways could sell last Concorde to Dubai
Concorde could be sold to Dubai and turned into a tourist attraction. Today marks the fortieth anniversary of Concorde's maiden flight in Britain, but celebrations have been marred by the possible move.
British Airways (BA) had previously promised to put a Concorde on display outside Heathrow Airport in
London, reports The Times. However, it is now thought that the airline could sell its one remaining Concorde to a
Dubai based consortium.
BA's fleet of seven Concordes was grounded six years ago and all but one were given to museums. The remaining Concorde,
Alpha Bravo, has been kept behind BA's engineering base at Heathrow.
BA has admitted that it considering removing Alpha Bravo from its base, but refuses to comment on any discussions with the Dubai group. It is believed that Alpha Bravo could be placed on one of the emirate's palm shaped, manmade islands.
A source close to the Dubai consortium said that the group would spend millions of pounds restoring the aircraft's interior: "It would be very well taken care of in Dubai," he said. He added that if any Concorde were to return to flight, it would not be Alpha Bravo as it does not have the safety modifications made to the others after the
Paris crash in 2000.
In order for Alpha Bravo to be transported to Dubai, the aircraft's
wings would be cut off so it could be loaded onto a ship. The news has been criticised by Concorde fans: "Sending it to Dubai would be a kick in the teeth to Britain's aviation heritage. Chopping of its wings would be the final insult," said Ben Lord of the Save Concorde Group.
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