LONDON (AP) _ Although the Concorde earns money for the two airlines that use it, the plane's matchless speed and elegant, dart-like silhouette have made it even more valuable as a source of corporate prestige, analysts said Wednesday.
The supersonic aircraft has carved a firm market niche among celebrities and executives in a hurry since making its first commercial flight in 1976. But its biggest impact has been as an emblem of luxury and technological prowess _ something aviation observers suggest is likely to outlast Tuesday's deadly crash of an Air France Concorde in the Paris suburb of Gonesse.
For both British Airways and Air France, the plane has become an important part of their self-image.
"It's a symbol of service. It's the ultimate you can get in commercial flying," said Philip Butterworth-Hayes, an aviation editor for Jane's Information Group.
British Airways and Air France both insist the aircraft is profitable, but refuse to give details.
Butterworth-Hayes estimates the Concorde accounts for as much as 20 percent of profits at British Airways, which operates seven of the planes.
A round-trip ticket for a British Airways Concorde flight from London to New York can cost up to $10,000, though deep discounts are often available. A comparable first-class flight on a British Airways 747 jumbo jet is about $9,000.
There is little capital expense involved in operating the plane. The British airline has already written off almost all the cost of its Concordes, which are more than 20 years old on average.
However, Concorde is a fuel-guzzling monster, requiring eight times as much jet fuel per passenger as a 747, said Mike Stoddart of Charterhouse Securities, a London-based brokerage firm.
At the same time, British Airways and Air France typically staff each of their 100-seat Concordes with nine crew members _ almost twice as many per passenger as the 19 crew members on a 400-seat 747.
Concorde pilots are among the most experienced and well-paid, adding to the expense of operating the planes.
Still, the high cost of a Concorde ticket means that British Airway's supersonic jets earn an average of 10 times more per mile than the airline's entire fleet, Stoddart said. He estimated the airline's annual revenues from its four daily Concorde flights to be around $378 million.
If it were merely a matter of cold economics, British Airways could probably afford to stop flying its Concordes without suffering a significant loss in income, he said.
But the calculation isn't that simple.
"The negative publicity of dropping it would be enormous," Stoddart said. "It's seen as a flag carrier, almost a symbol of BA. I think they would probably run it beyond the position where it makes economic sense just because of the prestige it gathers."
Air France had six Concordes until Tuesday's disaster. They make half as many flights per day as their British counterparts and accounted for 1.3 percent of the French airline's revenues last year, said Philippe Gossard, a transport analyst in Paris with Credit Lyonnais Securities Europe.
Operating profits from Concorde flights were better than Air France's total fleet average of 4.4 percent, Gossard estimated.
Analysts said it was too early to say if British Airways or Air France would suffer pinched profits due to passenger defections or aircraft groundings following the crash.
But even if profits slip, the Concorde's perceived role as a virtual mascot for the airlines should ensure it won't vanish quickly from the skies.
"I think both airlines would be incredibly reluctant to let it go," said Peter Turnbull, a transport specialist at Britain's Cardiff Business School.
(Copyright 2000 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
