On This Day In 1977, Singapore Airlines’ First Concorde Flight Took To The Skies
If you think Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) world's furthest commercial non-stop Singapore–New York route is amazing, imagine travelling to London from our Little Red Dot in under 9 hours while sipping champagne… and that was 48 years ago!
On this day in 1977, the SIA’s first Concorde flight took off – a supersonic aircraft made to travel faster than the speed of sound. Here’s the story of the super jet that Singapore briefly called its own.
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Supersonic dreams take flight
In Nov 1976, British Airways were in discussions with our Singapore gahmen to launch a London-Bahrain-Singapore route. Together, they planned a jet-set route that would slash travel time between London and Singapore from 18 hours (and multiple stops) to half that time.
On 9 Dec 1977, the very first joint SIA–BA Concorde flight touched down at Paya Lebar Airport with 25 minutes to spare. Singaporeans flocked to see it.
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
SIA’s Concorde (registration name G-BOAD) was the only Concorde in the world to wear a dual livery – "SIA" on the left side, and "British Airways" on the right.
Why like that? At Paya Lebar, passengers boarded via the front left door, so all they saw was the Singapore Airlines livery. On the right side, BA branding did the job in London and elsewhere.
IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Flying in style
Inside, Concorde wasn’t huge like today’s A380s. The cabin was narrow, with 100 seats in a 2-2 layout, low ceilings and small windows. But what it lacked in space, it made up for in atas vibes.
A typical menu on the SIA-BA Concorde route could include:
- Vintage Champagne
- Iranian caviar
- Fancy French-style duck
- Coffee
- and even... Havana cigars after the meal
If you were one of the lucky passengers (who paid 15% above first-class rates of the time) to secure a seat, you would have also received a personal Concorde flight certificate signed by the crew.
IMAGES: MONETARY AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE
So iconic, but short-lived
Singapore was so proud of having the Concorde in SIA colours that in 1979, it was even printed on the $20 “Bird Series” banknote.
The SIA Concorde also featured on a stamp commemorating Paya Lebar Airport.
By 1980, the SIA–BA Concorde service was bleeding money. Fuel costs were on the rise, and passengers realised that the Concorde cabin was small and loud compared to comfy jumbo jets.
After just three years, the final Concorde flight left Singapore on 30 Oct 1980.
The G-BOAD at Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, New York in 2023 | IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Is the plane still around?
The same SIA plane is now parked at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York, US. Only now no more SIA livery.
SIA become one of only three airlines in the world to ever operate a Concorde. For a moment, Singapore literally flew faster than the rest of the world.
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