France's Transport Minister, Mr Jean-Claude Gayssot, has called for the suspension of all Air France Concorde flights today following yesterday's accident, pending an investigation. Earlier yesterday, the French aviation authority, DGAC (Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile) said it had not decided whether to take any special measures concerning the Air France fleet of Concordes.
An inquiry is already under way, organised by the accident inquiry bureau, BEA (Bureau Enquetes Accident). The organisation is sifting through the debris to search for the Concorde's two black boxes which could provide clues to the cause of the crash. Air France chief executive Mr Jean-Cyril Spinetta blamed engine trouble for the crash.
He said minute cracks found over the past few months in the wings of most of the 13 Concordes then in operation had nothing to do with the crash. All of British Airways' seven Concordes had cracks, as had four out of Air France's seven. Mr Spinetta said the plane which crashed was one of the two at Air France which did not have wing fissures. British Airways cancelled its two Concorde flights scheduled for last night.
On Monday, Air France announced it would continue to use its fleet of Concordes at least until 2017.
There have been angry reactions to the crash here in France. Among the most vociferous have been members of the country's Green party, who have called for an immediate halt to the use of Concordes. The party said the planes were too old. The Greens said the crash went to show just how well founded were the fears of those living near airports.
Prime Minister Lionel Jospin rushed to the scene of the crash and expressed his sorrow. President Jacques Chirac expressed his "intense emotion" on hearing the news. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder dispatched his transport minister Reinhard Klimmt to Paris yesterday evening.
Rolls-Royce, the company which manufactured the fleet's engines, said it would take part in the official inquiry. But the company warned against jumping to conclusions about the cause of the accident. Like other Concordes, the plane that crashed yesterday was equipped with four Olympus 593 engines, developed by Rolls-Royce and French partner Snecma. The Concorde which crashed yesterday went into service on October 23rd, 1980, according to Air France.
The Air France share price finished down on the CAC-40 at the Paris Bourse yesterday.
The share price fell by 3.5 per cent to €19.30 euros. The German embassy in Paris is taking calls around the clock on 0033153 834500. The US Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to France to assist the authorities in their investigation of the crash. An American was among the dead as were a British national, several French, two Danes and two Poles. The rest of the dead were German. Three British aviation experts are also taking part in the inquiry.