When Concorde First Reached Greece: The Supersonic Days at Athens Ellinikon

Gary Fradelos

5 minutes ago

4 min read

For just two remarkable days in January 1973, Athens became one of the few cities in the world to welcome the most advanced passenger aircraft ever built.

Concorde prototype 001 (F-WTSS) displayed at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace in Le Bourget, France. — Concorde prototype 001 (F-WTSS), the aircraft that visited Athens' Ellinikon International Airport during its historic demonstration programme in January 1973, preserved at the Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace in Le Bourget, France. ***Photo:*** *Pline /* *Wikimedia Commons.*

On 4 January 1973, the French Concorde prototype 001 (F-WTSS) touched down at Athens' Ellinikon International Airport, beginning a series of demonstration flights that introduced Greece to the future of air travel. At a time when most commercial aircraft cruised below the speed of sound, Concorde represented a technological revolution capable of carrying passengers at more than twice that speed.

For Greek aviation, it was a historic moment.

Bringing the Future to Athens

By the early 1970s, Concorde had already captured the world's imagination.

Jointly developed by Britain and France, the sleek white aircraft promised to transform international travel. It featured a distinctive delta wing, an innovative drooping nose for improved visibility during take-off and landing, and four Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus engines capable of propelling it beyond Mach 2.

Although regular passenger services were still several years away, the prototype was touring selected destinations across Europe to demonstrate its capabilities to airlines, aviation authorities and government officials.

Athens was chosen as one of those destinations.

Black-and-white photograph of Concorde prototype 001 (F-WTSS) parked on the runway at Toulouse–Blagnac Airport during its flight-test programme in February 1969. — Concorde prototype 001 (F-WTSS) on the runway at Toulouse–Blagnac Airport during its flight-test programme on 24 February 1969. ***Photo:*** *André Cros / Municipal Archives of Toulouse via* *Wikimedia Commons* *(CC BY-SA 4.0).*

Demonstrating Supersonic Flight

Concorde arrived at Ellinikon on 4 January 1973 under the command of legendary French test pilot André Turcat, accompanied by British Concorde chief test pilot Brian Trubshaw, whose cooperation symbolised the Anglo-French partnership behind the programme.

Over the course of 4 and 5 January, the aircraft completed three demonstration flights from Athens.

The visit had two important objectives.

The first was commercial. Representatives from Olympic Airways, then owned by Aristotle Onassis, were invited to witness Concorde's performance as manufacturers sought to generate interest among airlines around the world.

The second was technical. Engineers wanted to evaluate Concorde's landing gear on Ellinikon's relatively rough runway, which was regarded as one of the more demanding airport surfaces in Europe at the time.

For the crews, Athens offered both a valuable engineering test and an opportunity to showcase one of aviation's greatest achievements.

British Airways Concorde in flight above the clouds during commercial service. — A British Airways Concorde cruises above the clouds during commercial service. ***Photo:*** *San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives via* *Wikimedia Commons*.

Greece's First Encounter with Mach 2

The highlight came during the demonstration flights on 5 January.

After departing Ellinikon, Concorde climbed to approximately 56,000 feet, accelerated beyond Mach 2, and demonstrated the extraordinary performance that had made headlines around the world.

For many of those on board—including invited Greek aviation officials and Olympic Airways representatives—it was their first experience of travelling faster than twice the speed of sound.

Even on the ground, the aircraft attracted widespread attention.

Its elegant silhouette, pointed nose and graceful delta wing looked unlike anything that had previously visited Greece. Aviation enthusiasts gathered around Ellinikon hoping to catch a glimpse of the futuristic aircraft, while newspapers closely followed the visit.

For two days, Athens briefly stood at the forefront of aerospace innovation.

Why Greece Never Became a Concorde Destination

Despite the successful demonstrations, Concorde never entered scheduled service to Greece.

The aircraft was designed primarily for long transatlantic routes where its exceptional speed could justify its high operating costs. Flights to Athens were considerably shorter and offered fewer opportunities to realise the time savings that made Concorde commercially attractive.

In addition, fuel consumption, maintenance costs and restrictions on supersonic flight over land limited the number of destinations the aircraft could realistically serve.

Instead, Concorde's relationship with Greece remained one of occasional appearances rather than regular operations.

One of its best-known later visits came in October 1993, when British Airways brought Concorde back to Athens during celebrations marking six decades of the airline's presence in Greece, providing another unforgettable sight for aviation enthusiasts.

A Brief Visit That Became Aviation History

Concorde would eventually enter commercial service in 1976 before retiring in 2003, bringing an end to the era of supersonic passenger travel.

Yet for Greece, one of the defining chapters came before the aircraft had even begun carrying fare-paying passengers.

The demonstrations at Ellinikon on 4 and 5 January 1973 offered a glimpse of aviation's future at a time when the impossible suddenly seemed achievable. Although Concorde never became a familiar visitor to Greek skies, those two winter days remain among the most remarkable moments in the history of civil aviation in Greece.