Which airline operated the first scheduled Concorde service from London to Bahrain in 1976?

British Airways operated the first scheduled Concorde service from London to Bahrain in 1976.

The inaugural commercial Concorde flights took place on 21 January 1976. British Airways flew from London Heathrow to Bahrain, while Air France began service from Paris to Dakar and then Rio de Janeiro. The two airlines therefore shared the distinction of introducing Concorde to scheduled passenger service.

British Airways inherited the Concorde operation from British Overseas Airways Corporation, or BOAC, following the 1974 merger that created British Airways. The airline’s Concorde routes later included New York, Washington, Barbados, and Singapore.

A common mix-up is identifying Air France as the sole launch operator. Air France was also a launch operator and began its own service on the same date, but the London–Bahrain route was British Airways’ inaugural route. Concorde remained in passenger service until 2003.