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Origin and history

The Latécoère de Montaudran aircraft factory in Toulouse was founded in 1917 by Pierre-Georges Latécoère to meet a military order of 1,000 Salmson 2 aircraft. Installed on a plot of 45 hectares around Lespinet-Raynal Castle, it employs up to 1,500 workers and becomes the city's first aviation plant. The site includes assembly halls, a grassed runway and workshops, marking the beginning of the Toulouse aviation industry.

Between 1918 and 1933, the factory became a hub of the Aeropostal, with pioneers such as Jean Mermoz and Antoine de Saint-Exupéry taking off from Montaudran to transport the mail to Africa and South America. In 1926, Pierre-Georges Latécoère ceded the transport activities to Marcel Bouilloux-Lafont, giving birth to the Compagnie générale aéropostale. However, financial difficulties led to its liquidation in 1931, and its assets were taken over by Air France in 1933.

During World War II, the factory, then led by Louis Breguet, produced bombers for the French army before being bombed in 1944 by the Allies. After the war, the site focused on aviation maintenance, particularly for Air France, before gradually being abandoned from the 1960s. In 2003, the final closure of the airfield marks a turning point: the Latécoère halls become a business incubator (the City), while Lespinet-Raynal Castle houses the L-Vol Museum of the Pioneers, dedicated to the history of the Aeropostal.

The site, which has been partially protected as historical monuments since 1997, includes the assembly halls, the castle (direction building), the passenger waiting room and the right-of-way of the runway. These elements, bearing witness to the golden age of aviation, illustrate the industrial and technological evolution of the twentieth century. Today, Montaudran Aerospace combines heritage and innovation, with spaces dedicated to start-ups and aeronautical memory.

The assembly halls, built between 1917 and 1918, are characteristic of the industrial architecture of the period: three naves 130 metres long, including a metal frame plant and two reinforced concrete sides. The castle of Lespinet-Raynal, dating from the 18th century, contrasts with these modern structures. After recent renovations, these buildings now house tertiary and cultural activities, perpetuating the aircraft heritage of the site.

The protection of the site in 1997 and its 20th Century Heritage label in 1999 underline its historic importance. Despite partial destruction and reconversion, the remains of Montaudran remain a symbol of industrial audacity and the beginnings of commercial aviation, anchoring Toulouse as the European capital of aeronautics.

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