It was a proud moment for Jamaica when the Concorde from New York landed in Jamaica for the first time. The onlookers that gathered at the Sangster International Airport were just as excited as the 90 passengers that arrived on the plane.

Published Sunday, December 21, 1986

Thousands cheer first flight here from New York

From Clinton Pickering: Gleaner Western Bureau

AVIATION HISTORY was created in Montego Bay yesterday as Jamaica moved into the supersonic age when the Concorde touched down at the Sangster International Airport at 2:54 p.m. The sleek, graceful white aircraft, with red streaks, landed to the loud cheers of thousands of curious onlookers, many of them waving miniature Air Jamaica welcome flags.

The latest creation of the commercial aviation industry signalled a red-letter day for Montego Bay and tourism. Apart from the inaugural flight of the Concorde, it was the day on which the Sangster airport welcomed 42 passenger flights — the largest number ever recorded in any one day at either of the international airports.

The status that the Concorde brings can best be summed up in the word of the first two passengers to disembark: Robert Fiscella and his unveiling companion, Mary Bruce, of Virgina, USA.

They said: "We went up to New York especially to attend this first flight from New York to Jamaica. We have been to Jamaica before and we wanted to back on the Concorde. Everything we've shared in Jamaica before, we've enjoyed so much that I wanted to come back and to enjoy it first-class.

‘Last word in flying

The flight down, said Miss Bruce, "was simply marvellous". And Mr Fiscella added: "It was the most delightful and amazing flight ever; we will be back again."

And, Mr Elrick Williams, a 69-year-old Jamaican who was born in Kingston but who has been living in the United States for the past 42 years, said of the inaugural Concorde flight, which he did not want to miss: "It was wonderful." He said that he has flown on just about every commercial jet, "but this is the first time for me on the Concorde, and I tell you from here on it's the Concorde for me".

Mr Williams was very impressed with the computerised operations of the aviation machine which travels faster than a bullet at 22-mile-a minute, and a cruise altitude of about 60,000 feet, nearly twice the height of the famed Mt. Everest. With its four Rolls Royce/Snecma Olympus turbojets, it has a take-off thrust of 38,000 pounds, a cruise thrust of 6,800 pounds with a length of 204 feet, the overall height of 37 feet and a wing span of 84 feet.

In the words of Mr Williams, "It's a very lovely plane ... this thing here is the last word in flying."

Warm welcome

The 90 passengers in the 100-seat aircraft were warmly welcomed at the airport by a party of airline officials and dignitaries, including the Minister of Public Utilities and Transport, the Hon. Pearnel Charles; the Minister of Tourism, Mining and Energy, Senator Hugh Hart; the President of Air Jamaica, Mr Noel Hylton; the Mayor of Montego Bay, Councillor Milton Stewart; the Custos of St James, the Hon. William Craig; the Director of Tourism, Miss-Carolle Guntley; and St James Members of Parliament, the Hon. Kenneth Baugh, the Hon. Marco Brown and Mr Jeff Roache.

Brief words of welcome were given by Mayor Stewart and Air Jamaica Chairman, Mr Tony Hart, who, with his wife, flew in from New York on board the Concorde. Mr Hart recalled that Jamaica was the first English-speaking Caribbean island to have air service, and said that "today, we are ushering in the future - the age of supersonic travel New York to Montego Bay in an hour and three quarters".

Coming as it is, five days after the start of the winter tourist season, Mr Hart expressed the views that "this is the best way of celebrating the best year Jamaica has ever had in tourism; more visitors, higher foreign exchange earnings, heavier bookings for the season".

Low fly-pass

Prior to landing, the Concorde made a scheduled fly-pass very low over the Tryall Golf Course where ABC network is providing live coverage of the very prestigious Mazda Champions Golf Tournament to more than four million US homes. This was to enable the network to film the inaugural flight into Montego Bay of the Concorde, and Mr Hart said he hoped this would inspire the viewers to come here. Mr Hart said he had been informed that all forward bookings for the 12 weeks that the Concorde will be flying here this winter tourist season "are in a heavy condition".

Mr Charles specially welcomed Captain John Cook and his crew and hoped that "with the goodwill that has been generated between Jamaica and your country, tourism will continue to shine". He also lauded Air Jamaica for leading the way in the introduction of the latest developments in the airline industry to Jamaica.

Mr Charles noted that "with all that is happening, we are moving on a positive path. "With the Concorde coming here, the spotlight was on Jamaica and "we will continue to develop in that direction," he said.

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