Michael Jackson once bought 56 of Concorde’s 100 seats for privacy then grounded the supersonic jet before takeoff
Published on Feb 09, 2026 at 6:05 PM (UTC+4)
by Daisy Edwards
Last updated on Feb 09, 2026 at 6:05 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Kate Bain
Michael Jackson once bought 56 of Concorde’s 100 seats for privacy, and then decided to ground the supersonic jet before takeoff.
For an aircraft designed to sell champagne-soaked glamour at twice the speed of sound, it was a very A-List move.
He turned the world’s fastest commercial airliner into something closer to a supersonic private jet.
Then, just before departure, he managed to delay the entire flight over a soft drink.
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Michael Jackson bought 56 of Concorde’s 100 seats
This bizarre celebrity story comes from Reynald Szatapski, a French investment banker who frequently flew Air France’s supersonic airplane Concorde in the mid 1990s.
On a New York to Paris flight, he noticed something odd almost immediately.
The front cabin was busy, but the rear cabin looked completely empty, rows of pristine seats with no passengers in sight.
When Szatapski tried to move to the back for more space, cabin crew stopped him. Every single seat had been sold, even if no one was sitting in them.
Moments later, the reason became clear – those empty seats were not empty at all, at least on paper.
They had been bought in bulk by one passenger.
Accounts suggest Michael Jackson purchased around 56 to 58 of Concorde’s 100 seats for that flight, giving himself and his small entourage near total privacy.
At the time, a Concorde round-trip ticket cost roughly $6,400.
Buying out most of the rear cabin would have cost an estimated $160,000 to $180,000, which today would land closer to $300,000 or more.
It was privacy, supersonic celeb style.
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Why the supersonic jet was grounded
Concorde was known for precision and ritual, which meant flights ran on tight schedules, with champagne service beginning before takeoff and continuing at altitude.
But on this particular journey, the aircraft did not leave on time.
The delay came down to a surprisingly ordinary request: the singer wanted Coca-Cola, and there was not enough on board.
This may have been to do with the supersonic jet’s famous collaboration with Coke’s rival, Pepsi.
The plane was grounded while additional cans were sourced, holding up one of the most advanced passenger jets ever built for a soft drink run.
After takeoff, the mystery passenger finally revealed himself and Michael Jackson reportedly stood up from the back cabin and began signing Concorde menus for fellow passengers.
Szatapski then realised he had been sharing what was essentially a private supersonic flight with one of the most famous people on the planet.
Concorde promised spectacle and speed, and the other passengers sure got it that day.
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As a Content Writer since January 2025, Daisy’s focus is on writing stories on topics spanning the entirety of the website. As well as writing about EVs, the history of cars, tech, and celebrities, Daisy is always the first to pitch the seed of an idea to the audience editor team, who collab with her to transform it into a fully informative and engaging story.
