The Royal Mail said it has produced 12 stamps which pay tribute to the supersonic aircraft’s “innovation, elegance and engineering excellence”. The nose cones of three Concorde planes exhibited in the UK will be moved simultaneously at 11.40am on Wednesday to mark the moment the first commercial Concorde flights departed on January 21 1976. The main set of eight Concorde stamps features photography of British Airways’ Concordes throughout their history, including the first and last commercial flights. Concorde was one the height of luxury for the famous and the well-heeled (Stefan Rousseau/PA)Last week, the Royal Mint launched a new 50p coin celebrating Concorde. But the aircraft was retired from service in October 2003, with British Airways and Air France blaming a downturn in passenger numbers and rising maintenance costs.

Source: The Times January 21, 2026 06:15 UTC