World-Circling Concorde Aims to Salute Columbus
PARIS — An Air France Concorde airliner plans to mark the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World by setting a new record for flying around the world, the airline said Friday.
The Concorde is set to leave Lisbon early Monday at the start of its 25,250-mile journey, an Air France statement said. If all goes according to schedule, it will return to the Portuguese capital 33 hours and 55 minutes later. Flying time is planned at 24 hours and 55 minutes, all but 35 minutes of it at supersonic speeds.
The Concorde, the world’s fastest passenger plane, will make six stops, starting with the Dominican Republic where Columbus landed in 1492.
About 50 passengers, paying $23,000 each, are expected to make the trip on flight number AF1492.
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