In pictures: Concorde through the years

A model of the planned supersonic airliner Concorde went on show at Farnborough in 1962.

French Ambassador M Geoffroy de Courcel (left) and the Rt Hon Mr Julian Amery, British Minister of Aviation, 29 November 1962

Later that year, French Ambassador Geoffroy de Courcel (left) and the British Minister of Aviation, Julian Amery, signed the Anglo-French supersonic airliner agreement - and Concorde was born.

A wooden mock-up of Concorde was made at Filton in Bristol, 1963

The airliner was constructed in both France and Britain. Here, a wooden mock-up of Concorde can be seen at the factory in Filton, Bristol.

The Concorde prototype 001 under construction at the Sud Aviation factory in St Martin-Toulouse, France

On the other side of the Channel, Concorde prototype 001 can be seen under construction at the Sud Aviation factory in St Martin-Toulouse in 1966.

A section of the fuselage of the Supersonic airliner Concorde is wheeled out of the hangar for testing

In March of that year, a section of the fuselage was wheeled out of the hangar at Filton for testing.

Concorde's official roll-out ceremony in Toulouse in 1967 was attended by Britain's Minister of Technology Tony Benn and the French Minister of Transport, Jean Chamant.

Britain's prototype of the Anglo-French supersonic Concorde

Employees of BOAC crowded around to get a close look at the prototype in 1968.

First flight of the prototype of the supersonic Franco-British Concorde

On 2 March 1969, Andre Turcat piloted the first flight of the French prototype Concorde 001 at Toulouse-Blagnac.

Concorde 002 taking off on its maiden flight from Filton, near Bristol

The first British Concorde, 002, took to the air on 9 April 1969, a month after its French counterpart.

Aircraft engineer and industrialist Sir George Edwards presents BOAC chairman Keith Granville with a silver model of a Concorde

In 1972, aircraft engineer and industrialist Sir George Edwards presented BOAC chairman Keith Granville with a silver model of a Concorde airliner after BOAC signed a contract to buy five of the aircraft.

Concorde's first public passenger flight

Thirty-five passengers waved goodbye before departing from Heathrow Airport on Concorde's first public flight in 1975.

Following the lifting of a ban on Concorde flights to New York, Capt Brian Walpole smiles from the cockpit on 22 November 1977, having just flown in from London.

Queen reading newspapers during her flight home from Bridgetown, Barbados, in the supersonic Concorde, 1977

Concorde's speed and expense quickly linked it in the public imagination to national leaders, top executives, rock and film stars - and royalty. Pictured is the Queen on board in 1977.

Even the Pope travelled on Concorde. Here John Paul II waves to well-wishers as he disembarks at Lusaka airport in 1989.

In 1995, Concorde set a new round-the-world speed record. The supersonic jet made the trip in 31 hours 27 minutes and 49 seconds, passing through three sunrises.

Air France Concorde flight 4590 takes off with fire trailing from its engine on the left wing from Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, 25 July 2000.

The beginning of the end for Concorde came at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on 25 July 2000. The crash killed 113 people.

The former Air France supersonic jet Concord F-BVFB is transported on a ponton out of Iffezheim, southern Germany

Following the crash, BA and Air France made a joint announcement on the jet's retirement. Many of the planes ended up in museums. This Air France Concorde took a novel route to get to its new home in southern Germany.