Virgin Atlantic Concorde: Sir Richard Branson's Quixotic Supersonic Quest

Sir Richard Branson’s long-running effort to bring back supersonic passenger travel is traced through the history of Concorde. After Concorde was grounded in 2003, Branson spent years trying to restore the concept, first attempting to buy remaining airframes from British Airways with government backing. Later, he partnered with startup Boom to develop a new aircraft aimed at flying London to New York in 3.5 hours. The article reviews why Concorde stopped: introduced in 1976 through a Sud Aviation and British Aircraft Corporation partnership, it suffered delays and cost overruns and reached only 20 built aircraft. It served routes with British Airways and Air France and was retired after its final flight on November 26, 2003.