Continuing our journey through France, here are some photos from one of our favorite visits in Toulouse—especially for my husband, who is a huge fan of Airbus and everything related to aviation. Hehe.
We traveled by car to the Airbus A350 Factory, where we joined a guided tour. Before starting, the tour guide explained the activities for the day, including a bus tour around the 700-hectare Airbus facility in Toulouse, a stop at the A350 assembly line lookout point, and a presentation about the aircraft production process.
As the bus moved around the enormous facility, I spotted several airlines I was familiar with, including Etihad Airways, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, and even Cebu Pacific from my home country, the Philippines. Some aircraft were being repaired, maintained, or upgraded alongside many other Airbus planes. It was truly fascinating to see.
The factory itself is massive and can accommodate around 20,000 employees every day. After some time touring the area, we stopped at the A350 lookout point, where the guide shared more interesting facts about the factory and the work of the engineers.
The visitors’ viewing area had a large glass wall overlooking the production facility, allowing us to watch the engineers working on the aircraft. I may not fully understand all the technical details, but seeing such an advanced and enormous operation up close was honestly mind-blowing.
After the presentation, we returned to our car and headed to Aeroscopia. We mainly visited the souvenir shop to pick up a few keepsakes, and before leaving, we also took photos beside the impressive Airbus A400M Atlas displayed outside the entrance.
After visiting the Airbus A350 Factory, we went directly to Ailes Anciennes Toulouse.
Ailes Anciennes Toulouse is a non-profit organization founded under the French Law of 1901. According to Wikipedia, the association aims to preserve aeronautical heritage. It owns around one hundred aircraft—including airplanes, helicopters, gliders, and ultralight aircraft—as well as engines and various aviation equipment. Part of its collection is also displayed at the nearby Aeroscopia museum. Simply wow.
The association is located on a 15,000 m² site in Blagnac, which it shares with two other associations: Aérothèque and Cap Avenir Concorde. A 1,500 m² restoration hangar serves as a workshop and can accommodate several restoration projects at the same time, along with a technical library. There is also a secondary 500 m² hangar used for storage facilities.
These aircraft are now used purely for display, almost like an open-air museum of aviation history. Most of the planes we saw were older models—some truly historic—and a few had even been brought from other countries to become part of the collection.
As I looked at each aircraft, I couldn’t help but feel the history behind them. I found myself wondering how many years they once flew through the skies and how long they have now stood quietly on display. That, I cannot tell—but each one seemed to carry its own story.
If you’d like to visit and explore this place for yourself, here’s the location—and thank me later! ✈️Bye!