Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live At Daybreak

British Airways Puts Modified Concorde to Test Flight

Aired July 17, 2001 - 07:20   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: At Heathrow Airport later this morning, British Airways is going to send up a modified Concorde. It is to be the first full-length test flight since that Air France Concorde crashed about a year ago. There have been some modifications made, some testing needs to be done.

Let's take a look now at this with CNN's Richard Quest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, the pride of the British Airways fleet. For the past 10 months, engineers have literally crawled across every part of this aircraft making modifications and ensuring that the plane is safe to be put back in the air.

After the Paris crash, investigators said changes needed to be made. Concorde needed stronger tires to prevent them bursting, wiring had to be replaced and reinforced with armor to prevent sparks if they were cut and most important of all, the fuel tank had to be strengthened.

(on camera): The heart of the modifications to Concorde involve lining the fuel tanks in the middle of the plane with Kevlar, a very strong material that's used in things like bulletproof jackets. These fuel tanks have already been surrounded in Kevlar. And if there was to be another catastrophic accident, this material would hold the fuel and prevent an explosion.

(voice-over): Rebuilding this 20-year-old plane has cost more than $25 million, but British Airways says it's worthwhile. The world's wealthy are wanting to fly again on Concorde and probably they only have a few more weeks to wait.

Richard Quest, CNN, Heathrow Airport, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com