The last months of 2003 will see the end of a flying legend. After more than 30 years of actual flight and around 25 years of quality passenger service, the reign of Concorde, King of the Skies, is drawing to a close. It will be the end of a unique period of supersonic travel.
Major technical problems and a dramatic drop in the number of passengers crossing the Atlantic have forced British Airways and Air France to retire Concorde, the world's first and most famous supersonic jet.
It is a sad time as plans are being made to wheel the fleet of Concorde planes to their final homes in museums around the world. Economics and technology have taken their toll and the once gleaming white hope of the skies has become an old man at the end of his useful life.
Concorde's birth back in the 1960s was full of excitement and optimism. For many years Britain and France had been working on separate plans to design a revolutionary supersonic aircraft for passenger service. In 1962, the two countries decided to pool their ideas and began to work together on Concorde.
Five years later, the first Anglo-French prototype was unveiled and in 1969 the plane made its first flight in the French skies. One month later, the Concorde made its maiden flight over English soil and this sleek beautiful aircraft immediately grabbed the public's attention. It was different, and stunning. It was an instant star.
Concorde began commercial flights across the Atlantic at the start of 1976 and its success looked certain. Everyone with enough money to buy a ticket wanted to fly Concorde. It was the thing to do, an unforgettable experience that provided many passengers with the trip of a lifetime.