France's civil aviation authority (DGAC) has given an Air France Concorde clearance for two flights as part of efforts to resume commercial flights by the supersonic jet following a disastrous crash last July.
The green light, valid for one month, will allow a Concorde jet to make a subsonic flight without passengers on Thursday to Istres, near Marseilles in southern France, where it will undergo a series of ground tests.
It will be the first take-off of a Concorde from Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport since last year's crash which killed 113 people.
This authorisation, valid from January 18 to February 18, does not allow the transport of passengers and specifies, for the first flight, maintenance and preparation operations and explains that the take-off will take place after a detailed inspection of the runway and the taxi areas, the DGAC said.
Once the Air France Concorde reaches Istres, it will undergo a series of tests on the ground. The plane was also authorised to return to Paris within a month.
French Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot said on Sunday he expected Concorde to resume service in 2001, once tests had shown that accidents such as the July 25 crash could be avoided.
British Airways, the only other airline to operate the Concorde, is due to carry out test flights in February after modifications to the fuel tanks and electrical systems.
Authorities revoked Concorde's flight certificate last August after preliminary investigations showed that one of the French airline's fleet of six supersonic planes caught fire and smashed into a hotel near the airport after debris from a burst tyre caused the underwing fuel tank to rupture.
Air France was due to hold a news conference later on Tuesday to explain what types of tests will be done at Istres and how many crew members will be on the flight.
Reuters