English, French authorities OK Concorde's return

LONDON (Sept. 6)—The civil aviation agencies of the United Kingdom and France have agreed to restore certificates of airworthiness to the Concorde fleet, provided the supersonic airliners are retrofitted with Kevlar-reinforced rubber fuel tank liners and use Groupe Michelin's new Near Zero Growth tires on the main landing gear. The U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority and the French Direction General de l'Aviation Civile both issued mandatory airworthiness directives detailing the required changes to the aircraft. "Today's decision is the culmination of a concerted effort by the manufacturer and operators to tackle the issues raised by last year's tragic accident, and to return Concorde to service," according to a CAA statement. Having monitored all the work and the modifications very closely and the authorities are "satisfied that the changes will prevent any future catastrophic accident such as occurred at Paris," it added.