Born from the Cold War ethos of competition and national displays of strength, the Concorde was the product of brilliant engineers and a $2.8 billion investment1. The iconic design was a seamless blend of form and function, and a cruising speed faster than the Earth’s rotation thrust the aircraft from NYC to London in 3.5 hours - half the time it takes today. I can only imagine how irresistible the urge must have been to stop, stare, and point. It was truly a technological marvel.
However, today the Concorde sits idle in museums, while Boeing 787s continue to rack up the miles. It turns out that unit economics do matter. The eye-watering fuel costs, limited flight routes, and poor sales was just unsustainable.
Though over 50 years have passed2, the spirit of the Concorde lives on. We are living in an era of unprecedented human achievement, where boundless possibility fills the air. However, we must also look through a long term lens and ask ourselves: What problem are we actually solving? There is value in problem-oriented, rather than solutions-oriented, thinking.
The new “Concordes” will captivate the world by both their marvel and longevity.
I am writing to distill my perspectives on the past, present, and future into concise thoughts to guide my work. Each entry serves as another brick constructing the edifice that can be considered my “thesis.”
https://simpleflying.com/concorde-cost-new/
https://www.britannica.com/technology/Concorde