Today, Wednesday, January 21, 2026 marks 50 years since the first commercial flight of the Concorde aircraft that was operated by Air France — and you can read about my experience flying as a passenger aboard one of the most iconic aircraft ever flown, as the supersonic airplane set an significantly important milestone in aviation history that redefined the possibilities of passenger travel.
50 Years of Air France Concorde. I Was a Passenger. Read About It.
“On Wednesday 21 January 1976, at 12:40pm, the Air France Concorde, registration F-BVFA, made its first commercial flight to Rio de Janeiro, with a stop-over in Dakar. After a flight time of just 7 hours and 26 minutes, Air France inaugurated its supersonic era, which would continue for 27 years, until 2003. With a cruising altitude of around 60,000 feet — twice as high as other long-haul aircraft – passengers were able to admire the Earth’s curved horizon through the windows”, according to a new documentary titled Concorde Air France: They Made the Legend Fly in commemoration of this special golden anniversary. “With a seat capacity of 100, the Concorde reached a cruising speed of Mach 2.02, or 1,350mph. Its sleek, unique and instantly recognizable silhouette featured a wingspan of 84 feet, a length of 204 feet, and a height of 37 feet.”
As you can see by the photograph above, the Concorde on which I was a passenger reached a cruising speed of Mach 2.03, which is almost 1,558 miles per hour. I arrived in Paris at 5:30 in the afternoon approximately 3.5 hours after departing from New York at 8:00 in the morning.
Champagne was served aboard the airplane during my flight — as well as lobster, foie gras, and other gourmet items. The service by members of the flight crew aboard Concorde was excellent, with almost every attention to detail as part of what became the Concorde experience.
The seat was nothing special, believe it or not: it was not wide; it did not lie flat; and it was not laden with the latest gadgets and technology. In fact, the interior of the airplane reminded me somewhat of a fancy regional jet airplane. Still, Concorde represented the epitome of prestigious travel, as its passengers included dignitaries, executives, and celebrities.
A video of the film — as presented by Benjamin Smith, who is the current chief executive officer of Air France-KLM Royal Dutch Airlines — offers almost 40 minutes of archival footage, first-hand accounts, and rare access to the iconic cockpit and cabin of the aircraft at the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace in Le Bourget:
Air France also acknowledged the only fatal accident involving Concorde during its operational history of 27 years: “On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Concorde’s first commercial flight, Air France also honors the memory of the victims of the tragic accident of July 25, 2000, and extends its thoughts to their families and loved ones.” All 109 people aboard the airplane which operated as Air France flight 4590 from Paris to New York were killed — as well as an additional four people on the ground — which led to the temporary grounding of Concorde.
Despite its return to service later in 2000, Concorde was increasingly more expensive to operate — and along with modifications in safety and significant shifts in the commercial aviation industry in general, Concorde was finally retired by Air France on Friday, May 30, 2003…
…and I was a passenger on a flight from New York to Paris during its last week of operation on Sunday, May 25, 2003 before Concorde was permanently retired from service.
This raw but edited short video gives a glimpse into my experience as a passenger who was seated aboard Concorde. Please keep in mind that this video was recorded on tape greater than three years prior to launching The Gate With Brian Cohen with its first article back on Friday, August 18, 2006; so the quality is not nearly optimal as I would have preferred.
Final Boarding Call
To this day, many enthusiasts of aviation consider Concorde to be a symbol of technology and innovation whose legacy is preserved in museums and in the memories of people like me who flew aboard this airplane and experienced something absolutely amazing and memorable that I will never forget for as long as I live.
You can read about my experience as a passenger aboard Concorde ship number F-BVFB in this article — as well as view photographs of some of the souvenirs that I received as gifts in this article, which includes the full menu.
All photographs ©2003, ©2023, and ©2024 by Brian Cohen.
