CONCORDE will not be returning to Fairford, where it made its maiden flight in 1969 and then continued to use the test centre.

There are no plans to fly the retired aircraft over the town when it makes a final flight to Filton in Bristol on Wednesday.

Paul Bowen, director the Royal International Air Tattoo said he is disappointed Concorde will not fly over RAF Fairford.

But he said: "While it would be wonderful to see the aircraft fly over an airfield that has such historic links, I can appreciate that there were probably a number of commercial and operational factors that dissuaded British Airways from agreeing to a fly-by."

Fairford town councillor Howard Dowler said: "I would have thought it wouldn't take much for them to make sure they came over Fairford on the way.

"I remember the first flight into Fairford and for the first six months, thousands of people would come to see it."

The final Concorde flight will be on Wednesday when Concorde chief pilot Mike Bannister goes from Heathrow to Filton in Bristol, via the Bay of Biscay. Filton is where the aircraft was made and where the plane will be housed.