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Model Concorde to fly out of Heathrow
Last updated at 15:52pm on 07.03.07British Airways is flying out of the Concorde roundabout advertising site at the gateway to Heathrow Airport.
The roundabout, which carries a scaled-down model of a BA Concorde, is passed by more than 25 million travellers annually - more than 400 million over the past 16 years - making it one of the most valuable advertising properties.
Of the 25 million, 83 per cent are affluent ABC1s, the most coveted consumer group.
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The model Concorde may now be broken up if a good home can't be found for it. BA, the UK's largest carrier, says it can no longer justify the rent, thought to be about £1.5 million a year. Its decision has shocked the airline industry.
Emirates Airline has beaten stiff competition for the site and will take it over from 1 April. A senior industry source said: "Emirates has moved its tanks right onto BA's lawn.î
Emirates is understood to be planning to put a model of the Airbus A380 - the double-deck superjumbo - on the roundabout.
The Dubai-based international carrier has ordered 45 of the aircraft, each capable of carrying 555 passengers, in an order worth more than £10 billion.
Emirates has signed a six-year deal for the site, ensuring it an increased international profile during the 2012 Olympic Games.
Reader views (6)
There's no need for it to be broken up. It can be brought round to my place anytime!
- Mark, London
What on earth do BA think they're doing? The Concorde roundabout is an iconic part of the UK's major international airport. To surrender that to some ugly slug in foreign colours sums up the loss of BA as major national airline.
I somehow feel that if Maggie was still PM, this would not be allowed to happen!
- Nick Wilcock, Witney, UK
G-CONC should be taken apart most carefully and moved to a more suitable area within the LHR perimeter. I hope they will not break her.
They could make an offer to another large airport, Singapore might want to take her.
Installing an Emirates A380 on the roundabout is definitely not a good idea. Concorde's legend, grace and sheer beauty will be replaced by ugly A380 "The Bus".
- Marie, Monte Carlo Monaco
Putting an Airbus 380 there is rubbing BA's nose in it a bit - not only has Concorde gone, but BA won't even be flying the new superjumbo.
- Skippy, London, UK
I know that Concorde no longer graces the skies and that this is only a model but it should be saved and preserved somewhere near to the airport or even in a museum. British Airways has a real one parked on the airport so don't need this model. Maybe it could be moved to in front of the old visitor's centre on the north side of the airport.
- Terry Spruce, Hampton, UK
BA are moving to T5 soon so very few of their customers will be passing this roundabout, and you may have heard but Concorde is not a current BA product. It would seem sensible for BA to use this money to better effect elsewhere, whether it be advertising on the T5 roundabout or enhancements to services.
- Adrian Cole, Windsor
