On the night of Monday to Tuesday, a criminal act struck the École Supérieure des Métiers de l’Aéronautique (ESMA) in Pérols, near Montpellier. Four twin-engine aircraft were set on fire, three of which were completely burned out, while ten other aircraft were damaged. The gendarmerie is investigating this premeditated attack, which involved the use of homemade Molotov cocktails to cause the fire. This incident comes amid heightened security, raising questions about the motives behind this attack on an internationally recognized institution.
A premeditated attack shocks the ESMA
The École Supérieure des Métiers de l’Aéronautique, located in Pérols, was the scene of an arson attack that destroyed four twin-engine aircraft and damaged ten others. Authorities quickly classified the incident as a “criminal act” due to the discovery of homemade Molotov cocktails in several fuselages, confirming the premeditation of the fire. Emergency services mobilized in the middle of the night After an alert was raised around 4:30 a.m. by witnesses who noticed the flames, the Hérault firefighters and those from Montpellier Airport responded to contain the blaze. Despite their rapid response, the damage to the 55,500 m² site remained considerable. A security perimeter was established to facilitate the investigators’ work. The large-scale investigation led by the gendarmerie
Since Tuesday morning, significant resources have been deployed. The Montpellier Air Transport gendarmes, reinforced by the research section, analyzed the crime scene. Particular attention was paid to securing the perimeter to preserve evidence and understand how such an attack could have been perpetrated on such a sensitive site.
The motives behind the fire Investigators are actively seeking to determine the motives of those responsible for this sabotage. The key question remains: why target an internationally respected civil aviation school? The mystery surrounding this arson attack, which has yet to reveal the exact amount of damage, only deepens. An unprecedented act of sabotage in France
While the security of such an institution is being questioned, this fire raises concerns about existing security measures, such as CCTV and alarm systems. This unprecedented aerial sabotage in France calls for a thorough review of preventive measures and represents a significant challenge for local authorities.
Other arson incidents in the region
This is not the first incident of this type in the region. One example is the recent fire at a church in Montpellier, reported in this article. Other similar incidents include the arson attack on a grocery store that caused casualties, as described here.