· By Chris Louch
Will Concorde Ever Fly Again?
Like many aviation enthusiasts, I’ve spent far too many hours watching grainy Concorde take-off videos on YouTube, and wistfully imagining what it must’ve been like to sip champagne while cruising at Mach 2.02. Regrettably, I never got the chance to fly on her, I missed it by just a few years. And so, the question that has lingered in my head (and across countless likeminded av-geeks) remains:
Will Concorde fly again?
The short answer is: it’s unlikely. But the full story is far more fascinating, and full of passionate people trying to make the impossible happen.
Why We Love Concorde
For those who didn’t grow up glued to the skies, here’s why Concorde still captures imaginations over two decades since its retirement in 2003:
- Top Speed: Mach 2.02 (1,354 mph)
- Altitude: Cruised at 60,000 feet—high enough to see the curvature of the Earth
- London to New York: Just under 3.5 hours
- Status Symbol: The pinnacle of 20th-century aviation luxury
She was a rare bird, only 20 were ever built and at that time was a total engineering marvel. But Concorde was also expensive to run, loud, and constrained by regulations. Following the tragic Air France Flight 4590 crash in 2000, and the economic downturn after 9/11, Concorde’s fate was sealed.
But not everyone was ready to let her go.
The Push to Get Concorde Back in the Air
Let’s talk about the real efforts made to bring her back, and why they haven’t (yet) succeeded.
1. Club Concorde and “Return to Flight”
In 2015, a group called Club Concorde made headlines with plans to get a Concorde flying again by 2019. They aimed to raise £120 million to restore one of the airframes, ideally G-BOAC or G-BOAF to flying condition.
Their most ambitious plan included:
- A full restoration to airworthiness
- Flights at air shows
- A floating Concorde museum on the Thames
Despite press coverage in The Guardian (read here), and genuine enthusiasm, funding and technical challenges proved too great. The group’s website is now offline, and the project has gone quiet.
2. Heritage Concorde
One of the most active organizations still keeping the dream alive is Heritage Concorde. They focus on preserving Concorde systems, restoring functionality to key features, and maintaining aircraft like G-AXDN at Duxford.
They’ve managed:
- Re-lighting original cockpit instruments
- Restoring electrical and hydraulic systems
- Supporting preservation teams at multiple museums
They don’t promise a return to flight, but their efforts help ensure Concorde never fades into obscurity.
3. Aerospace Bristol – G-BOAF
Home to the last Concorde to ever fly, G-BOAF, Aerospace Bristol has invested heavily in preserving the aircraft. It’s static, but you can sit in the seats, walk through the fuselage, and get a taste of what flying her might’ve been like.
The team runs tours and experiences and is entirely reliant on donations.
Why She Won’t Fly Again (Probably)
1. Airframe Degradation
After decades on the ground, Concorde’s airframes and systems (especially hydraulics) have deteriorated. These components were never designed for long-term disuse, and spares are virtually non-existent.
2. Certification & Regulation
Getting a vintage supersonic aircraft certified to modern civil aviation standards would require:
- New avionics
- Noise compliance (a big issue)
- Modern safety systems
- And sign-off from multiple regulatory bodies
It’s not impossible, but it’s expensive. Think hundreds of millions expensive.
3. No Support from OEM's
Rolls-Royce, Airbus (which inherited parts of BAC/Aérospatiale), and other suppliers no longer support the aircraft. Without OEM backing, restoration to airworthiness is an uphill battle.
What the Forums Say
Here’s where the real Concorde community lives:
- Airliners.net – The forum where people have debated for years about the plausibility of restoration. Threads go deep into tech specs, flight logs, and inside knowledge.
- Heritage Concorde News – They post restoration updates, videos, and photos from their ongoing projects.
- Reddit’s r/aviation – Expect both informed engineers and enthusiastic dreamers.
- Flight Sim Labs – A niche community where Concorde lives on through highly detailed flight simulation.
A Similar Success Story: Vulcan to the Sky
Some fans point to the successful return of the Avro Vulcan XH558, brought back by the Vulcan to the Sky Trust. They raised over £20 million to get the Cold War bomber flying again between 2007–2015.
It inspired hope that Concorde might one day follow. But it’s important to note that Vulcan was subsonic, military (not civil), and the engineering challenges were significantly less complex than with Concorde. I actually managed to see XH558's final display at Farnborough air show some years ago, and it was a truly special moment, but that's another blog post in itself, maybe I'll write it soon!
Final Thoughts From the Ground
So, will Concorde ever fly again?
The realist in me says “no.” But the romantic in me still checks in on Heritage Concorde now and then, donates to museum projects, and dreams of the day we hear that iconic Olympus roar once more.
Until then, I’ll keep sipping my Jet Bean Concorde Cappuccino, and dreaming of the skies at 60,000 feet.
Because once you’ve fallen in love with Concorde, you never really let her go.
Chris Louch
Frequent Flyer | Coffee Evangelist | Jet Bean Loyalist