Celebrating 50 years of Concorde – supersonic legacy on Surrey’s doorstep
Marking the 50th anniversary of the first commercial flight of Concorde at Brooklands Museum is a powerful reminder that aviation history is not distant – it is embedded in the fabric of Surrey. Brooklands is where supersonic ambition, engineering excellence and design innovation converged, making it one of the most important sites in global aerospace history.
From left to right: student Arya Mangesh Basonde, Dr James Kennell, Head of Surrey Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM), Betty Jensen, Business Development Officer, Dr Bora Kim, Deputy Head of SHTM (Education), and Prof Iis Tussyadiah, Dean of Surrey Business School
For Surrey, this legacy is quite literally in our backyard. Brooklands was central to the design, testing, and manufacturing of Concorde, the aircraft that redefined speed, engineering precision and international collaboration. Being part of this anniversary is not just about celebrating the past: it is about reaffirming Surrey’s enduring role in shaping the future of aviation.
That heritage directly informs our education. At Surrey Business School, we are proud to offer the MSc Air Transport Management and the BSc International Airline and Airport Management – programmes designed to develop the next generation of leaders for a complex, technology-driven, and sustainability-focused aviation sector. Students learn not only the economics, operations, and strategy of air transport, but also the systems thinking and innovation mindset that aircraft like Concorde exemplified.
Few places in the world can match Surrey’s aviation ecosystem for student experience. With Heathrow, Gatwick, and Farnborough Airports all nearby, students are immersed in one of the world’s most active and influential aviation corridors. This proximity brings unparalleled opportunities for industry engagement, live case studies, site visits, guest speakers, internships, and careers at the heart of global air transport.
Celebrating Concorde at Brooklands is therefore more than a milestone moment. It underscores why Surrey is a natural home for aviation education – where a proud supersonic past meets forward-looking programmes that prepare students to design, manage, and lead the future of air travel.
