The French maintenance industry has recently been hit by much bad news, which came in addition to (or as a consequence of) the current downturn in air transport. However, some companies are managing to climb a positive trend. The spirits of many mechanics and maintenance technicians were hit hard on April 10, when Air France (simulta-neously with British Airways) announced it would stop operating the supersonic Concorde. The French airline was to operate its last commercial flight with the only supersonic airliner in the world on May 31. As aviation enthusiasts, most maintenance people admired the "big white bird." Among them, the saddest were certainly the 145 still involved in Concorde's line, light, or heavy maintenance.
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