PARIS, April 10: At a press conference held on Thursday Air France chairman Jean-Cyril Spinetta announced his decision to stop flying the supersonic Concorde as of next Oct 31, largely because the aircraft had become too costly to operate, notably since the July 25, 2000, crash in Paris of Concorde Flight 4590 which resulted in the deaths of 109 passengers and crew.

British Airways, generally for the same reasons has decided to stop operating its own fleet of Concordes too, according to an Air France spokesman.

It was 41 years ago, on November 24, 1962, that an accord was signed between France and Britain to jointly construct the aircraft that since then has flown under the colours of national carriers Air France and British Airways.

Mr Spinetta during his press conference said it was the “diverging gap between costs and receipts, noticed especially these past few months, a phenomenon that accelerated since the beginning of the year,” that proved to be the deciding factor against continuation of the Concorde’s operation.

The decision was announced in conjunction with Airbus, the constructor of the Concorde which was involved also in its upkeep.