Business Movers Concorde: Sonic Boom and Bust | Takeoff | 3
Sep 26, 2024
Explore the dramatic negotiations surrounding the Concorde's launch in 1972 London. Learn how marketing hurdles intertwined with national pride and political strategy. Discover the skepticism faced by Concorde amid rising competition from jumbo jets and the tragic TU-144 accident. Uncover the fallout from a U.S. ban, leading to heated discussions about noise concerns. Finally, navigate the political struggle to secure Concorde's place in the U.S. market while British Airways battles financial challenges.
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Heselton's Deal
- British Airways threatened to cancel its Concorde order due to profitability concerns.
- The government agreed to cover any losses, a decision later regretted by Michael Heselton.
Concorde's Political Value
- Concorde's survival wasn't solely based on business, but also political factors.
- It served as a symbol of British ingenuity and a political bargaining chip, especially concerning the UK's entry into the European Common Market.
Tu-144 Crash
- The Soviet Tu-144, Concorde's rival, crashed at the Paris Air Show in 1973.
- This raised safety concerns about supersonic jets and negatively impacted Concorde's image.