FRANKFURT On December 31, 1999, revellers with cash to spare will be able to celebrate the New Year twice by flying Concorde across the Atlantic. Air France is offering a special flight which will leave Charles de Gaulle Airport bound for New York at 1 a.m., after a party to toast in the New Year. It arrives at John F. Kennedy Airport at 11 p.m.

local time where a boat will take passengers to Manhattan. There they can celebrate the new millennium a second time, says Air France in Frankfurt. The flight's availability and cost have yet to be decided. At any rate it will be more expensive than the normal ticket, according to Sandra Trautmann of Air France. The Concorde one way ticket to New York costs $4,400 and is available at eleven German airports.

Concorde's other operator, British Airways, has yet to announce any concrete plans for new year 1999/2000. A spokeswoman at BA's office in Frankfurt said a new price brochure will be appearing in the coming weeks. A total of three Concordes will be in the air to celebrate the dawning of the new millennium. U.S. specialist travel agency Concorde Spirit Tours based in Miami is chartering a plane to fly at the same time as the Air France plane and is also underway from Paris to New York. The company is also offering its passengers the chance to attend two parties on the ground.

The third Concorde will be travelling the Atlantic in the other direction. On board will be 100 under 15s from various European countries who will actually be airborne when the chimes ring in the year 2000. The seats will be distributed in a prize draw. (DPA)