Air France Concorde takes off safely from Paris

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.

Revamped to address safety concerns, an Air France Concorde left Charles de Gaulle airport behind schedule. It took off at 0947 (Irish time) - 17 minutes late - for the three hour, 55 minute flight to New York.