The first flights on Concorde planes took place on Jan. 21, 1976, one from London to Bahrain and the other from Paris to Rio de Janeiro. The first and only prominent consumer-facing supersonic jet, the Concorde allowed passengers to speed over the Atlantic Ocean in just a handful of hours. The two maiden flights took less than half the time a normal jet would to reach their destinations.
The Concorde was never a big hit. Only 16 were built, for British Airways and Air France, due to a lack of demand. People complained about the noise it caused, including the sonic boom that rippled out every time it broke the sound barrier. Flights, just four hours long from Paris to New York, were reserved for luxury travelers due to the cost of the ride.
In 2000 a Concorde flying for Air France crashed after takeoff from Paris, killing 109 onboard and four others on the ground. It was the first major Concorde crash in history, and it marked the end of supersonic flight. Concorde flights stopped in 2003, ending the supersonic consumer flight experiment with them. For more on the Concorde see History.com.
