Champagne -- but plastic cutlery

By CNN's Richard Quest

LONDON, England (CNN) -- Concorde passengers would have been more reassured by some of the new touches on Concorde than others.

For the passengers who took to Concorde for the first time since its relaunch, the elegant lines of the supersonic jet remained the same, as did the speed of the trans-Atlantic flight -- slightly more than three hours between London and New York.

But -- and it's a small thing -- eating Beluga caviar, smoked salmon and lobster with green plastic cutlery, rather than stainless steel, did not go unnoticed.

Choosing cutlery that is not too cheap and nasty has caused British Airways a headache.

The need is a necessary part of the increased security requirements following the September 11 suicide plane attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

Security checks were intense before the plane took off on Wednesday.

The great and the good of international commerce, including leading bankers from London and New York, had to wait three hours before they were cleared to board the plane.

VIDEO Concorde leaves Paris without incident (November 7) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media) More than a year after the crash, Concorde is back in business Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)   MORE STORIES Concorde flies into new era    RESOURCES In-depth: Concorde  A supersonic return   AUDIO CNN's Richard Quest: Cruising at 55,000 feet 1.5MB / 184 sec WAV sound British Airways CEO Rod Eddington talks to CNN's Richard Quest 1MB / 122 sec WAV sound

Everyone was physically searched, including the director-general of the Confederation of British Industry all the way up to the chief executive of British Airways, Rod Eddington.

But as they waited, canapes and Champagne were consumed, and stories were swapped about favourite Concorde experiences. Some, like two insurance executives, are used to taking Concorde at least once a month -- a sizable investment at $10,000 for a return trip.

Otherwise, it was a motley mix of people, who would not normally go near the media unless dragged there, rubbing shoulders with a large contingent of the British press corps. Both sides viewed each other warily.

Other guests invited on board the newly refurbished plane included Sting. "This is about getting back to normal. Concorde is a symbol of British Airways and airline travel in general," the musician told CNN.

Eddington added, Concorde's return is important for his company, a profitable symbol of the future of aviation. "It's important to staff and customers, it's important to link New York and London."

The London flight followed the take-off of an Air France Concorde from Paris, also bound for New York.

Eddington told CNN the two planes were to arrive in New York shortly after one another as a symbol of the joint work carried out by the two airlines in getting Concorde flying again.

"We worked together, and we will arrive together."

He added, people working in Paris, London, and New York needed Concorde because "for them, it is a time machine."

Tony Benn, a former British minister once in charge of aviation technology who played a leading role in the plane's development, added: "It's a boost for New York to see two Concordes after the terrible tragedy of the World Trade Center."

Symbolism continued on touchdown at New York. The city's outgoing mayor, Rudolph Giuliani -- who has offered hope to people seeking support in the wake of September 11 -- welcomed Concorde.

He greeted passengers before going on the public announcement system, saying he had one message to CEOs: "Come here and spend money."

It was a turn-around in the love and hate relationship New Yorkers have with Concorde. They hate the noise, but everyone has welcomed its return -- it is an enormous symbol of normality.