Man captured historic moment 3 Concordes land back-to-back-to-back at Heathrow airport on day of last ever commercial flight

There were several reasons why Concorde was so iconic, and the way it looked – both when parked at an airport and in the air – was certainly one of the main ones.

Through the years, pilots certainly had their fun with the planes – that’s for sure.

On one occasion, on the day of the last commercial Concorde flight, the pilots decided to pull off back-to-back-to-back landings.

And it was certainly spectacular.

Why Concorde was retired

There probably wasn’t a main reason for Concorde’s retirement, more like a long list of issues ranging from minor to major that eventually led to the inevitable conclusion: this thing can’t fly anymore.

Profitability was one of the issues.

Concorde was a very costly plane to run, and even though tickets were expensive, Air France and British Airways – the only two operators – weren’t exactly swimming in money.

Technology was another issue.

Back then, especially when it was launched, Concorde was a state-of-the-art aircraft.

The best aviation could offer.

But, by today’s standards, it is absolutely ancient.

In terms of efficiency and safety, the plane was pretty much obsolete by the time it was retired.

Then there was the deal breaker: the sonic boom.

Several countries simply made it illegal, which basically meant Concorde was technically not allowed to use the airspace of said countries.

So, sadly, British Airways and Air France just pulled the plug.

Some people say that Concorde was part of an era where there was some romance in air travel.

Although others claim that ‘romance’ is just another way of saying very few people could afford it back then.

But, whichever way you look at it, this was indeed a special plane.

In terms of luxury, most airlines have business-class and first-class seats that are far better than Concorde.

The seats were plushy and comfortable, and you had bottomless Champagne, but again that’s something you get with most airlines.

In fact, as long as you swap the Champagne for ‘regular’ wine, that’s something you get with some airlines even in Economy.

But Concorde felt (and was) special because it gave passengers the opportunity to be in charge of something no one can control: time.

Today, in 2026, you need between 10 and 12 hours to fly across the Atlantic.

With this supersonic aircraft, all you needed was three hours.

Imagine that, you could fly from New York to London in the same time required today to fly from New York to Denver.

Three pilots chose an amazing way to celebrate Concorde at Heathrow Airport

There was always a sense of occasion with this plane.

In 2003, thee Concordes landed at Heathrow Airport, one after the other, in what was definitely a spectacular way to conclude the amazing career this plane had.

One of the planes returned from Edinburgh, another had done a supersonic loop over the Bay of Biscay, and the third had completed the final service from New York.

It’s such a shame that it’ll never happen again.

Even if Concorde flew again tomorrow, which it obviously won’t, these ‘show-offy’ situations are frowned upon.

Especially in aviation, which is just about the most heavily regulated industry in the world. Pity.

Because, as you can see from the video, it was outstanding to watch.

Celebrity passengers on Concorde’s final flight from New York:

Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson

Former Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone

Actress Joan Collins

Broadcaster Sir David Frost

Model Christie Brinkley

British Airways chairman Lord Marshall