Concorde test flights for BA staff

Two successful test flights have already gone ahead

British Airways workers are being offered the chance to fly on test flights of Concorde.

Staff can enter a ballot to win tickets on five "operational assessment" flights, designed to check routine flight procedures.

Both BA's and Air France's Concorde fleets have been grounded since one of the planes crashed in Paris just over a year ago, killing 113 people.

But the supersonic aircraft is expected to resume passenger services next month.

A full complement of 100 passengers will be on board each of the test flights.

Concorde has been grounded since last year's fatal crash

Four of the flights will depart from Heathrow Airport and head towards the north Atlantic, before turning round and heading home.

But on the fifth, the supersonic plane will touch down at New York's Kennedy Airport before returning.

Two verification flights have already been completed by one of BA's Concordes.

Winning names in the test flight ballot will be drawn on 31 August.

Last week, a report detailing modifications made to prevent a repeat of the July 2000 crash was submitted to French and UK aviation authorities.

Provided they are satisfied with the safety improvements, permission-to-fly certificates will be issued for each plane, enabling them to return to active service.

'Ground rage' training

It has also emerged that BA is to provide "conflict management" training for staff who have to deal with unruly and aggressive passengers at airports.

The move follows a rise in "ground rage" attacks on BA's 4,000 'customer facing' staff at Heathrow and Gatwick airports.

A BA spokesman said: "This course is designed to give staff more inter-personal skills to diffuse abusive or threatening behaviour.

"It might apply in situations such as when staff have to prevent someone from boarding a flight.

"We aim to do everything we can to protect our staff and give them the means of coping with situations."