The Concorde was one of the first passenger jets faster than sound. It cruised at 17,000 to 18,000 meters, twice the height of normal jets. Its top cruising speed reached 2,178 kilometers per hour. A London to New York trip took about three hours instead of eight and a half. The plane first flew in 1969 and entered commercial service in 1976. Only British Airways and Air France operated it regularly.
So why did such an amazing aircraft retire in 2003? The problem was money, not technology. The plane burned huge amounts of fuel and carried only about 100 passengers. A round trip once cost around 7,574 dollars, far above normal tickets. Its loud boom when breaking the sound barrier also limited its routes. Airlines finally chose bigger, cheaper planes that served far more travelers.