Concorde
Britain and France spent decades and a fortune building the Concorde, a supersonic passenger jet that crossed the Atlantic in three and a half hours. By the mid-1960s, insiders already doubted it would ever pay for itself. It flew anyway, from 1976 until 2003, operated by just two airlines while almost every other carrier that had options to buy quietly walked away. The economics never worked at scale, yet the project kept going year after year.
For founders and operators, this is the case that sharpens one of the hardest calls you face: when to kill something you have already poured money, time, and reputation into. Every business has a Concorde, a project kept alive by what it cost to get here. The question of how to decide whether to continue or stop is one most leaders get wrong, and this story shows exactly why.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Concorde and why is it a famous business case?
The Concorde was a supersonic passenger jet built by Britain and France that crossed the Atlantic in about three and a half hours. It is a famous business case because insiders doubted by the mid-1960s that it would ever pay for itself, yet the project continued for decades. It became the textbook example of the sunk cost fallacy in decision-making.
How long did the Concorde fly and how many airlines operated it?
The Concorde flew commercially from 1976 until 2003, a run of nearly three decades. It was operated by just two airlines, British Airways and Air France, while almost every other carrier that had options to buy quietly walked away. The economics never worked at scale.
Why did the Concorde keep flying if it never made money?
The Concorde kept going because of sunk cost: the money, time, and national reputation already poured into it made stopping feel like waste. Decision-makers anchored on what it had cost to get there rather than on whether continuing made sense going forward. The project was kept alive by its past rather than its future.
What can founders learn from the Concorde sunk cost fallacy?
The lesson is to judge whether to continue a project by its future prospects, not by what you have already invested, because every business has a Concorde kept alive by past costs. Knowing when to kill something you have poured money, time, and reputation into is one of the hardest calls leaders face. CaseBook turns this into a move you apply to your own company, with an AI coach that reads your answer.