Méaulte: Aircraft Manufacturing, Walking Trail and Church History

The history of Méaulte is closely linked to aircraft manufacturing; at the same time, the former Saint-Léger Church and its subsequent history are among the town’s historical themes. Aviation history and church architecture offer two clearly distinct perspectives on Méaulte.

Aviation history from the factory to the airport

Henry Potez was born in Méaulte in 1891 and initiated the construction of the aircraft factory in 1922. The factory was renamed Aérolia in 2009, Stelia in 2015 and Airbus Atlantic in 2022. Méaulte is considered one of the important places in the history of French aircraft manufacturing. The Domaine du Vivier is also associated with the town and is attributed to aircraft manufacturer Henry Potez.

The Airbus Atlantic factory manufactures complex aircraft structures and parts, as well as equipment for the aviation industry, using advanced composite technologies. With its fibre-placement robots, friction stir welding and assembly robots, Airbus Atlantic LAB explores new applications for the development of aircraft structures, systems and cabin interiors. The factory and the LAB thus represent two different aspects of the site: industrial manufacturing and research into technologies and applications.

The airport in Méaulte accommodates the Airbus Beluga. The cargo aircraft collects parts from the Airbus Atlantic factory, located just a few metres away, and has its own hangar there. Aéroport International Amiens-Henry Potez in Méaulte is also used by numerous business aviation customers, as well as for transporting sports teams, medical flights and organ transport.

The dates serve different purposes: 1891 is Henry Potez’s year of birth, and 1922 marks the start of construction of the factory; 2009, 2015 and 2022 mark the succession of factory names. For planning a walk, by contrast, the average duration of the Circuit des aviateurs provides a specific time estimate, while the historical milestones provide the town’s historical context.

The Circuit des aviateurs

The Circuit des aviateurs is an easy, 7.47 km circular walk with an average duration of 2 hours and 20 minutes. The route runs alongside the Airbus factories and passes an exhibition of an Airbus A380 cockpit. It also reaches the entrance to Albert-Picardie Airport and follows the airfield fence. Before setting out, check the current trail conditions and the situation at the exhibition and on the airport side, as trail conditions, roadside displays and access arrangements may change.

Saint-Léger Church and local history

The former church of Méaulte, dedicated to Saint-Léger, was a Flamboyant Gothic building dating from the 16th century. It was completely and permanently destroyed during the First World War and replaced by a more modern building. The stained-glass windows of Méaulte Church were restored in 2011.

If you are looking for a hotel in Méaulte, these different highlights can help inform your travel plans: the history of the factory and airport focuses on aviation, while the Circuit des aviateurs offers a specific walking option with a stated length and duration. Saint-Léger adds the history of a former church building and its destruction to these themes.

Discover more destinations: Gapennes, Bray-sur-Somme, Montigny-Sur-L'hallue, Contre, Saigneville, Fontaine-Sur-Maye, Vironchaux, Beauval

For the broader travel overview: Somme.