If you’ve ever flown out of London Heathrow, you may have seen her parked in a corner. Sadly, the once majestic Concorde has been left to rot.
As an aside, I did not know there was a most tabloid-esque newspaper than the Daily Mail, but it appears the Daily Star is exactly that. Certainly this issue is not akin to a crime against humanity, as the story suggests.
But I do find it sad that the aircraft has been abandoned and is quickly deteriorating when it belongs in a museum as a reminder of a different era of commercial aviation.
All the seats and most of the overhead bins have been ripped out of G-BOAB, which has not flown since 2000. The seats and some cockpits instruments were pulled out as replacement parts for Concordes that remained in service until October 2003. The aircraft is now full of magazines to allegedly keep it weighed down.
Even so, that does not excuse its poor conditions. It is rat-infested and rusting, as holes have been drilled inside to drain rainwater.
The original plan was to display this aircraft in BA’s Terminal 5 at London Heathrow, but “bureaucracy and poor architectural planning” have scuttled that idea.
I’m reminded of this childhood Disney cartoon I once saw as a child–
At least she still looks good from a distance. Hopefully she will find a new resting place in the years to come…
It seems that the entire LHR area is rat infested. I have certainly spotted some little rats at Galleries First
I just saw her last week at LHR too – sad. The Paris Museum of Air & Space could house her – they have 2 Concorde full-size prototypes in a hangar there and it’d be a great addition. The museum is right next to the Jetex FBO at LBG. Great location (especially if one is flying out of the FBO like we were!)
“for Concordes that remained in service until October 2013.” There’s a small but major typo in there.
Oops. Fixed. Thanks.
Exterior looks fine – and lots more people get to see it sitting near the taxi / run ways at Heathrow than in a museum.
Does anyone know the status of the Air France Concorde on display at CDG
It is rather disgraceful that this magnificent aircraft is left outside to rot. British Airways should be ashamed of themselves for this. One thing is for sure, this aircraft should never, ever leave London Heathrow. This is where it flew from and it’s where it should stay.
Parked on a platform between both runways so everyone can see her. Especially Americans!
Britain doing what it does best – hating its own legacy. Bureacracy and poor planning? Yup. in spades.