Final Concorde passengers land
The final transatlantic Concorde has landed at Heathrow.
The airliner left JFK airport in New York at 12:38 BST and touched down in London at 16:05 BST.
Passengers on the final voyage included actress Joan Collins, model Jodie Kidd and TV presenters Jeremy Clarkson and Sir David Frost.
Minutes before the final plane landed a flight from Edinburgh carrying competition winners touched down, having completed its final journey, and another commercial flight, a sightseeing tour over the Bay of Biscay joined the fleet on the tarmac.
Millions around the world tuned in to watch the trio land in spectacular formation. Over 1,000 spectators watched the landings from a specially built grandstand at Heathrow.
The supersonic jets fly at 1,300mph, twice the speed of sound.
Concorde’s 27 years of luxury passenger service ended amidst concerns about cost and security, putting an end to the 1970s dream of supersonic passenger flights.
Concorde made its last commercial flight to America on Thursday, touching down in New York at 10:45 BST from Heathrow.
Water cannon sprayed the Concorde with jets of red, white and blue water at JFK Airport to evoke the colours of the British, American and French flags.
Before entering the Concorde cockpit for the last time, Captain Mike Bannister said he was “proud and privileged” to fly the plane.
Actress Joan Collins, who has flown on Concorde many times, said the end of the era was “tragic”.
Sir David Frost added: “You can be in London at 10 o’clock and in New York at 10 o’clock. I have never found another way of being in two places at once.” He said he had flown on the jets hundreds of times.
BA chairman Lord Marshall, who was on board the flight, said: “Concorde is a wonderful aircraft and her last day is one of mixed emotions.
“Everyone has enormous pride in all that she has achieved but there is inevitable sadness that we have to move on and say farewell.”
BA and Air France made a joint announcement about the retirement of the Concorde fleet in April this year, and the French Concorde’s final flight was in May.
A horrific crash near Paris Charles de Gaulle airport three years ago killed 113 people and led to concerns about the safety of the ageing jets.
Richard Branson attempted to buy BA’s fleet, but the carrier refused his offer.
The majority of the fleet is expected to be sold to museums.
