Concorde glitch forces Wales landing
 |
The supersonic jet was forced to land in Wales instead of London.
Story Tools
SPECIAL REPORT
|
|
|
LONDON, England -- A British Airways Concorde flying from New York to London was forced to land in Wales after an engine problem developed.
The supersonic jet, carrying 99, passengers, experienced an "engine surge" during Wednesday's flight, and the pilot diverted the flight to Cardiff International Airport, the airline said.
The surge forced the pilot to fly subsonic, which uses up more fuel. As a result, the pilot landed at Cardiff rather than London's Heathrow airport, a BA spokesman told the UK Press Association. The jet landed at around 7 p.m.
"It was not an emergency landing and the safety of the passengers or crew were not compromised," the spokesman said.
"The aircraft experienced a temporary engine surge in one of the four engines during the flight.
"As a result the aircraft flew subsonic for the rest of the journey. It uses more fuel and as a result it had to divert into Cardiff."
British Airways is retiring Concorde in October. BA's last commercial Concorde flight will be on October 24 when the jet makes its final voyage from New York to Heathrow.
BA and Air France announced earlier this year that Concorde flights would end because they were not making enough money.
The airlines announced the decision in April after Airbus -- whose predecessor made Concordes -- said the planes would need an "enhanced maintenance program in the coming years."
The world's only supersonic aircraft has struggled since the Air France crash outside Paris in July 2000 that killed 113 people .
Bookings have fallen and competition from cheaper flights to New York against rising maintenance costs have made the aircraft commercially redundant.
