Concorde entered passenger service on 21 January 1976. See its inaugural routes, launch airlines, 1969 first flight and nearly 28-year service era.
Concorde entered scheduled passenger service in 1976, on 21 January. British Airways launched London Heathrow–Bahrain flights while Air France launched Paris Charles de Gaulle–Dakar–Rio de Janeiro flights. Concorde had first flown in 1969, but that was a prototype test flight, not the start of scheduled airline operations.
What was Concorde's exact passenger-service date?
Concorde entered commercial airline service on 21 January 1976. British Airways and Air France operated their inaugural scheduled flights on the same day, making both airlines Concorde's launch operators.
In our Aviation & Real-World Flying reference material, we use this date because the flights were published commercial passenger services. Prototype flights, certification work, demonstrations and route-proving flights do not count as entry into passenger service.
The launch routes also reflected Concorde's operating limitations. Much of its supersonic flying had to take place over water because sonic-boom restrictions prevented routine supersonic operation over populated land. Our overview of the routes Concorde flew explains how those restrictions shaped its network.
| Date | Milestone | What the date means |
|---|---|---|
| 2 March 1969 | French prototype made Concorde's first flight | Flight testing began |
| 21 January 1976 | London–Bahrain and Paris–Dakar–Rio services began | Scheduled passenger service began |
| 24 May 1976 | London and Paris services to Washington Dulles began | Scheduled US operations began |
| 22 November 1977 | London and Paris services to New York JFK began | The famous New York operation began |
| 24 October 2003 | British Airways operated its final scheduled Concorde service | The scheduled passenger era ended |
When did Concorde start flying: 1969 or 1976?
Concorde first flew on 2 March 1969, but it did not begin scheduled passenger flying until 21 January 1976. The first flight was made by French prototype 001 from Toulouse; the British-built prototype followed on 9 April 1969.
This distinction also resolves searches for a Concorde “release date”, which is not a standard aviation-history term. If “released” means first flown, the answer is 1969. If it means available to scheduled airline passengers, the answer is 1976.
A mistake we see often is treating Concorde's New York debut on 22 November 1977 as its introduction. New York was delayed by airport restrictions and a lengthy noise dispute; Concorde had already carried scheduled passengers for almost two years. Our dated chronology from development through retirement provides the wider sequence.
Which airlines had Concorde?
British Airways and Air France were the only airlines to take delivery of Concorde fleets and operate it as their own scheduled supersonic airliner. Fourteen of the 20 Concordes built entered airline service: seven with British Airways and seven with Air France. The other six were prototype, pre-production or development aircraft.
Singapore Airlines and Braniff International are sometimes included in longer answers, but neither owned a Concorde fleet. A British Airways aircraft carried Singapore Airlines colours on one side while being used for jointly marketed London–Singapore services. Braniff participated in an interchange operation using British Airways and Air France aircraft between Washington Dulles and Dallas/Fort Worth.
Therefore, the answer is two airlines when referring to Concorde's owners, fleet operators or launch airlines. Singapore Airlines and Braniff matter only when discussing branding and special operating arrangements.
How long was Concorde in service?
Concorde's scheduled passenger era lasted 27 years, nine months and three days, from 21 January 1976 to 24 October 2003. It is normally summarised as 27 years or just under 28 years in service.
Was Concorde in continuous service for all 27 years?
No. Commercial operations were interrupted for roughly 15 months following the Air France Flight 4590 accident on 25 July 2000. After grounding, investigation and aircraft modifications, scheduled passenger services resumed on 7 November 2001.
The figure of 27 years and nine months describes the calendar span between introduction and the final scheduled service; it does not subtract that interruption.
When was Concorde's last commercial passenger flight?
The final scheduled Concorde service was British Airways flight BA002 from New York JFK to London Heathrow on 24 October 2003. Air France had ended its commercial Concorde operations on 31 May 2003.
Farewell, delivery and positioning flights continued after the last scheduled service. The final flight by any Concorde occurred on 26 November 2003, so it should not be confused with the end of commercial passenger operations. Our breakdown of Concorde's final commercial and retirement flights separates those milestones.