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 (NNE) of Paris, France. 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 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 and as the departure point two weeks earlier for the French biplan The White Bird (L’Oiseau Blanc), which took off in its own attempt at a transatlantic flight but then mysteriously disappeared.
On 25 June 1940, Adolf Hitler began his first and only tour of Paris, with Albert Speer and an entourage, from Le Bourget Airport.
On 16 June 1961, the Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected at Le Bourget Airport.
In 1977, Le Bourget was closed to international airline traffic and in 1980 to regional airline traffic, but remains serving both domestic and international business aviation. Since 1975, Le Bourget Airport has hosted the MuseedelAir et de l’Epace, 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.
In 2002, Erik Lindbergh, grandson of CharlesLindberghmade a flight to commemorate his grandfather’s 75th Anniversary historic solo flight. Erik’s plane dubbed as “The New Spirit of St. Louis” flew solo transatlantic. Erik’s flight time completed with 17 hours and 7 minutes. The airport hosts a statue commemorating Frenchwoman Raymonde de Larochewho was the first woman to earn a pilot’s licence. There is also a monument honouring Lindbergh, Nungesser, and Coli.
