Paris-Le Bourget Airport

When people think of Paris and aircraft, they usually think of Charles de Gaulle. Yet the real origin of Paris aviation lies a few kilometers further south: Charles Lindbergh landed at Le Bourget in 1927, the city’s first commercial terminal stood here, and since 1953 the aviation industry has shown what it can do here every two years at the Paris Air Show. You won’t see scheduled jets there today. Instead, Falcon, Gulfstream and Global taxi around Le Bourget in a variety you would have to wait a long time for at most European airports.

From military field to Paris’s first airport

The story begins in World War I. In October 1914 the first aircraft lands on the fields near Le Bourget, and within a few weeks it becomes a military airfield that belongs to the air defense of Paris until 1918. After the war, the airfield opens to civil traffic in 1919 – making it the first commercial airport of the French capital. Until Orly is added in 1932, practically all Paris air traffic runs through Le Bourget.

The 1920s and 1930s are the airport’s great era. The early connections to London and other European capitals start from here, and Le Bourget becomes the stage for record and pioneering flights. As traffic grows, the airport needs a suitable terminal building: the architect Georges Labro wins the air ministry’s competition in 1935, and his terminal is inaugurated on November 12, 1937. The elongated Art Deco building is now a listed monument and houses the aviation museum.

Lindbergh, Nungesser and Coli: May 1927

No event has shaped Le Bourget like May 1927. On May 8, the French aviators Charles Nungesser and François Coli take off from Le Bourget in their biplane L’Oiseau Blanc to be the first to fly nonstop from Paris to New York. After departure they are never seen again; their fate remains unexplained to this day.

Just under two weeks later, success comes from the opposite direction. Charles Lindbergh takes off in the Spirit of St. Louis from Roosevelt Field near New York on May 20 and lands at Le Bourget on May 21 after about 33.5 hours alone at the controls – the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic. The reception on the airfield is among the most famous scenes of early aviation. Since 1928, a joint monument at Le Bourget has commemorated Nungesser, Coli and Lindbergh. The museum also shows the landing gear of L’Oiseau Blanc, which the two dropped shortly after takeoff to save weight – the only surely preserved part of the aircraft.

Farewell to scheduled service

After World War II, Le Bourget becomes too small. Growing traffic pushes the airport to its limits, and Air France moves all its operations to Orly in 1952. With the construction of Charles de Gaulle in Roissy, the end as a scheduled-service airport is sealed: international scheduled service ends in 1977, regional service around 1980/81.

What follows is a clever realignment. Le Bourget specializes in business aviation – close to central Paris, with long runways and without the crowd of airliners. Today the airport is among Europe’s most important business jet airports; it is often called the “Teterboro of Europe,” a nod to the big business jet airport near New York. The operator is Groupe ADP, which also runs Charles de Gaulle and Orly.

Three runways for business jets

For an airport without scheduled service, Le Bourget has astonishing infrastructure. The longest runway, 07/25, measures 3,000 meters, 03/21 comes to 2,665 meters, 09/27 to 1,845 meters. That is more than enough for any business jet and also suffices for the widebody aircraft that fly in for the Air Show. Which runway is currently in use depends on the wind, as everywhere – the basics are explained in the article Understanding the runway direction in use at airports.

Numerous handling companies for business flights, each with their own terminals, are spread across the grounds, along with maintenance companies and hangars. Dassault Falcon Service plays a special role: the company is based at Le Bourget, is a major service station of the Falcon network and also operates charter flights with Falcon jets. No coincidence, then, that you see particularly many jets from Dassault Aviation here. The BEA, the French aircraft accident investigation authority, is also headquartered on the grounds.

Which jets you see at Le Bourget

Le Bourget is an airport for type hunters. Instead of dozens of identical A320s, aircraft from every weight class of business aviation come here – from small entry-level jets to ultra-long-range jets, plus turboprops and helicopters. Which types will come on a given day can hardly be predicted; that is the appeal.

Especially with the large cabins, the types look similar at first glance. The article Telling business jet types apart shows how to tell Gulfstream, Global, Falcon and Challenger apart in the field. You’ll find general tips on photographing business aircraft under Spotting business jets.

Registrations from all over the world

Business jets are often registered where their owners or lessors are well placed for tax and legal reasons. That is why at Le Bourget, besides French F- registrations, you find many US N- registrations, and jets from Malta, Bermuda, the Isle of Man or other countries. If you collect registrations, you quickly get your money’s worth here. The article on offshore registrations explains why so many aircraft are on offshore registers. Larger operators such as NetJets or Flexjet also fly to Paris with European subsidiaries.

The Paris Air Show

The roots of the show go back to 1909, when one of the world’s first major aviation exhibitions took place at the Grand Palais in Paris. After World War II it returned, and flying displays took place at Orly from 1949. In 1953 the event then moved to Le Bourget – with the format that still applies today: exhibition halls, a large open-air area with parked aircraft and flying displays along the runway. Since then it has been held in odd-numbered years in June; the 2021 edition was canceled because of the pandemic.

For the industry, the show is one of the most important stages of all. Manufacturers such as Airbus show new types here, airlines announce orders and air forces present their jets. In June 2025, more than 300,000 visitors came, according to French figures. The first days are reserved for trade visitors, and on the last days the show opens to the general public. The next edition is in 2027 – details on planning, tickets and photo vantage points are in the article Paris Air Show at Le Bourget.

The show’s history also knows dark days. On June 3, 1973, a Soviet Tupolev Tu-144 crashed during a display over the neighboring town of Goussainville; six crew members and eight people on the ground died. The accident is regarded as one of the events that permanently shaped safety rules for flying displays. More on the Soviet supersonic aircraft is in the article on the Tupolev Tu-144.

If you are interested in air shows in general, it’s worth looking beyond Paris: the Farnborough International Airshow in England takes place in even-numbered years and complements Le Bourget on a two-year rhythm. The article on air shows in Europe gives an overview.

Spotting at Le Bourget

There is no official spotter hill like in Munich at Le Bourget. The obvious starting point is the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace in the 1937 terminal. From the terraces on the old building you look over the museum tarmac with its Boeing 747, Airbus A380 and Ariane rockets, and beyond that onto the active airfield. For business jets taking off and landing you need a decent telephoto.

Two Concordes also wait in the halls – a prototype and an Air France production aircraft. If you are interested in the supersonic program, you’ll find the right background in the article on the history of the Concorde. Opening hours, prices, access to the aircraft and the best vantage points are covered in detail in the spot guide for the Musée de l’Air at Le Bourget Airport.

Catching the right day

Business jet traffic follows different patterns than scheduled traffic. Instead of fixed waves, there are peaks around trade fairs, sporting events, fashion weeks and political summits in Paris. On weekdays there tends to be more business traffic, while on weekends and in holiday periods it shifts toward leisure. A look at a flight tracker shows you what is currently on approach – how to use ADS-B data sensibly is explained in the article on flight tracking with ADS-B.

Government and state aircraft occasionally also show up at Le Bourget during summits, though more often at Orly or at military airfields. You’ll find hints on how to follow such visits in the article Spotting government aircraft.

Getting there and outlook

Le Bourget lies mostly in the Seine-Saint-Denis département, about eleven kilometers north of central Paris. By public transport the easiest way is the RER B to Le Bourget station and from there bus 152 to the museum; you can also get there via Metro line 7 to La Courneuve and on by bus. A direct rapid-transit link is still missing: Line 17 of the Grand Paris Express with a “Le Bourget Aéroport” station is under construction, but its opening has been postponed several times – check the current status before your trip.

If you are in Paris for several days, it’s best to combine Le Bourget with the big airports. At Charles de Gaulle you see the Air France hub and long-haul from all over the world – tips in the spotting guide for Paris-CDG. Orly delivers European and overseas traffic. For a comparison with another business jet focus, Geneva Airport is worth a visit, where business aircraft also play a big role.

Conclusion

Le Bourget is not an airport for quick numbers but for special sightings. Paris aviation started here, Lindbergh landed here, and the 1937 terminal, one of Europe’s most beautiful historic airport buildings, stands here. Since the end of scheduled service, the airport has been one of the top addresses in business aviation, and every two years during the Paris Air Show the whole industry looks here.

For spotters the combination is worthwhile: museum in the morning, business jets from the terraces, plus a look at the flight tracker so as not to miss the interesting arrivals. If you are looking for airliners, go on to Roissy – if you are looking for Falcon, Gulfstream and history, Le Bourget is the right place.