YORKSHIRE Air Museum bosses are still waiting with fingers crossed for news of whether they have won their bid for Concorde.

The museum, at Elvington, near York, was one of 12 sites around the world shortlisted earlier this year as possible homes for Britain's seven redundant supersonic aircraft.

The arrival of Concorde would be a massive boost both to the museum and also York tourism generally by boosting the numbers of visitors heading to the city.

Museum organisers originally expected to hear in August, and then in September, whether or not their bid had been successful.

But British Airways still has not given them its decision, and nor has it indicated when the announcement will finally be made.

A BA spokeswoman told the Evening Press in early September that the company was just waiting to get some last-second details from some of the bidders and then check through the bids, and it hoped to make an announcement within the following two weeks.

But a spokeswoman said today: "Obviously, we haven't been able to do that. It has taken us longer than we anticipated." She was unable to give any indication when BA would be able to make an announcement.

Museum director Ian Reed said he had heard that BA, which was making site visits to all the 12 possible locations, had been to one of them only last week.

He remained confident that the museum's bid would succeed, although there could be no certainty.

He believed it was the only one of the 12 locations able to immediately meet all the criteria set by BA.

He felt it was possible that BA would seek to make the announcement on the aircraft's fate towards the end of the month, at about the time they are removed from service.

In the meantime, the museum was continuing to take a place on the world stage, with news that its replica of the Wright Flyer, the world's first powered aircraft, is to go on display at an air spectacular in France, and also at the Paris Air Show.

Updated: 10:50 Friday, October 03, 2003