Grand Palais: Birthplace of Global Aeronautics and the Modern Airshow

Paris’s Grand Palais, nearly demolished in the early 1900s, became the birthplace of global aviation exhibitions and modern airshows. Hosting the first aeronautical exhibition in December 1908, the iconic building showcased pioneering aircraft from Blériot, Santos-Dumont, and the Wright brothers alongside revolutionary engines. This transformative gathering established the template for today’s major aerospace events at Farnborough, Le Bourget, and Dubai, cementing the Grand Palais as the cathedral of 20th-century flight and a crucial witness to aviation’s evolution from invention to global industry.