THE Concorde began its final descent yesterday as British Airways and Air France said they would stop flying the world’s first and only supersonic jetliner because flagging passenger demand could not cover its rising costs.

More than 15 months after an Air France Concorde crashed in a ball of flame, the world's only supersonic jetliner returned to the skies today - making its long-awaited commercial comeback during one of the worst slumps in aviation history.