Paris–Le Bourget Airport

Paris–Le Bourget Airport
Aéroport de Paris-Le Bourget
Advanced Landing Ground (ALG) A-54
Summary
Airport typePublic
OwnerGroupe ADP
OperatorParis Aéroport
ServesParis metropolitan area
LocationLe Bourget
Opened1919; 107 years ago (1919)
Elevation AMSL220 ft / 67 m
Coordinates48°57′36″N 02°26′06″E / 48.96000°N 2.43500°E / 48.96000; 2.43500 (Paris - Le Bourget Airport)
Maps
Airport diagram
Airport diagram
LBG is located in France
LBG
LBG
Location of Paris–Le Bourget Airport
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
03/21 2,665 8,743 Asphalt
07/25 3,000 9,843 Asphalt/Concrete
09/27 1,845 6,053 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Passengers52,935
Source: French AIP[1]
French AIP at EUROCONTROL[2]

Paris–Le Bourget Airport (French: Aéroport de Paris-Le Bourget) (IATA: LBG, ICAO: LFPB) is an airport located within portions of the communes of Le Bourget, Bonneuil-en-France, Dugny and Gonesse, 6 NM (11 km; 6.9 mi) north-northeast[2] of Paris, France.

Once the principal airport of Paris, it is now used only for general aviation, including business jet operations. It also hosts air shows, most notably the Paris Air Show. The airport is operated by Groupe ADP under the brand Paris Aéroport.

History

The airport started commercial operations in 1919 and was Paris's only airport until the construction of Orly Airport in 1932. It is famous as the landing site for Charles Lindbergh's historic solo transatlantic crossing in 1927 in the Spirit of St. Louis, and had been the departure point two weeks earlier for the French biplane L'Oiseau Blanc (The White Bird), which took off in an attempt at a transatlantic flight, but then mysteriously disappeared.[3] Howard Hughes flew the second nonstop flight from New York to Paris in 1939, landing at Le Bourget and thereafter continuing onward to Moscow.[4]

On 25 June 1940, Adolf Hitler began his first and only tour of Paris, with Albert Speer and an entourage, from Le Bourget Airport.[5]

Due to capacity constraints at Le Bourget, Air France transferred all of its operations to Orly in 1952.[6]

The Paris Air Show was first held at Le Bourget in 1953, having previously been held at the Grand Palais prior to World War II, and at Orly after the war.[7]

On 16 June 1961, the Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected at Le Bourget Airport.[8]

In 1977, Le Bourget was closed to international airline traffic and in 1980 to regional airline traffic, but continues serving both domestic and international business aviation. Since 1975, Le Bourget Airport has hosted the Musée de l'air et de l'espace, France's main state-owned aviation museum. Following the discontinuation of regular commercial traffic in 1977, space available to house museum collections and displays has progressively increased.[9][10]

The airport hosts a statue commemorating Frenchwoman Raymonde de Laroche who was the first woman to earn a pilot's licence. There is also a monument honouring Lindbergh, as well as Nungesser and Coli, pilots of The White Bird.[11]

On 14 April 2016, the Groupe ADP rolled out the Connect 2020 corporate strategy and the commercial brand Paris Aéroport was applied to all Parisian airports, including Le Bourget airport.[12]

Le Bourget has been called "The Teterboro of Europe" because of the role it plays in accepting all business aviation flights into Paris, and the associated support base.[13]

Facilities

The Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile (BEA) is headquartered in Building 153 on the grounds of Le Bourget Airport and in Le Bourget.[14][15] Le Bourget Airport hosts the Musée de l'air et de l'espace, which is also located in the commune of Le Bourget.[16]

PassengersYear050,000100,000150,000200,000250,000300,000198019902000201020202030PassengersAnnual passenger traffic

References

  1. ^ LFPB – PARIS LE BOURGET. AIP from French Service d'information aéronautique, effective 19 February 2026.
  2. ^ a b "EAD Basic". Archived from the original on 23 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2009.
  3. ^ Godspeed, Charles and Francois. "The Secret of The White Bird." Archived 24 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine aero-news.net, 9 May 2006. Retrieved: 16 January 2009.
  4. ^ "The Boise City News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Hitler Tours Paris, 1940". Eyewitnesstohistory.com. Archived from the original on 22 March 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2012.
  6. ^ "Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport - Part 1". A Visual History of the World's Great Airports. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  7. ^ "Making history". Flight Global. 7 June 2005. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 3 June 2020.
  8. ^ "1961 - Rudolf Nureyev defects to the West". Nureyev.org. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  9. ^ fr:Musée de l'air et de l'espace
  10. ^ "Présentation". Musée Air et Espace. Archived from the original on 13 March 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
  11. ^ "Nungesser & Coli Vanish Two Weeks Before Lindbergh Crosses The Atlantic". Documenting Reality. 4 October 2012. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  12. ^ Charlotte Turner (19 April 2016). "ADP reveals rebrand and opens Orly South Pier". Trbusiness.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  13. ^ Esler, David (20 August 2019). "Storied Le Bourget Is Europe's Premier Business Aviation Facility". Aviation Week. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  14. ^ "Plan d’accès au BEA Archived 20 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine." Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. Retrieved on 17 June 2010.
  15. ^ "header_logo_et_coord.gif Archived 21 June 2011 at the Wayback Machine." Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses pour la Sécurité de l'Aviation Civile. Retrieved on 17 June 2010.
  16. ^ "Address and Directions Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine." Musée de l’air et de l’espace. Retrieved on 9 September 2010.