PRESS RELEASE
Online access to the online auction:
PDF version of the catalogue here:
AVIATION SANS FRONTIÈRES & ARTCURIAL
Let’s Make Solidarity Soar
Charity Auction in Paris
On June 18, 2025 – 8 PM
On Wednesday, June 18, Artcurial will hold a charity auction for the benefit of Aviation Without Borders, with the participation of actor and pilot José Garcia, alongside the International Aeronautics and Space Show in Le Bourget, near Paris.
To support the humanitarian missions of the association, numerous artists, celebrities, top athletes, and companies have rallied together by offering unique experiences and exceptional items that will be auctioned.
Under the hammer of Stéphane Aubert, the proceeds from the auctioned lots will contribute to funding the innovative hospital-plane project of Aviation
Without Borders: a world first aimed at delivering a miniature hospital to the most remote areas of the planet.
Among the iconic lots: a weightless flight aboard the Airbus Zero G; a T-shirt worn during a mission by astronaut Thomas Pesquet; a pilot’s helmet from the Patrouille de France; and a captain’s uniform worn and signed by Hollywood star and eminent pilot John Travolta.
Unique experiences – such as a paramotor flight in formation with migratory birds or another in a famous war bird Curtiss P-40E Warhawk – will also enrich this unprecedented auction.
Other highlights of the auction: a dinner in Paris with Bertrand Piccard, the pilot and adventurer, accompanied by an original fragment of the envelope of the Breitling Orbiter 3, with which he completed the first nonstop circumnavigation by balloon; a dramatic flight in an electric plane over the Alps with his Solar Impulse co-pilot, André Borschberg; and a full day and flight with Catherine Maunoury, multiple-time world aerobatics champion.
28 EXPERIENCES & PIECES OF HISTORY AT AUCTION
The auction will also feature historical items related to the aeronautical world: a very rare wooden Falcon wind tunnel model at 1/10 scale, an exceptional donation from manufacturer Dassault Aviation; the micro-car Messerschmitt KR200 which Coluche regularly used during his 1981 presidential campaign; and a Pilot model watch offered by Breitling, specially engraved for the occasion: Aviation Without Borders 1980–2025.
Completing the auction are a blade from a Grumman S-2 Tracker donated by Pierre Farman, as well as two in a series of five original paintings of the Rafale Solo Display, spectacular works by Arthur Thomas and Régis Rocca that required over 600 hours of work.
For 45 years, Aviation Without Borders has worked tirelessly in France and around the world to assist distressed populations. An independent, apolitical, humanitarian organization, it puts the expertise of its pilots, technicians, and volunteers at the service of various missions: emergency medical evacuations; transport of humanitarian personnel and freight; support for sick children; medical messaging; and training young people through programs like Les Ailes de l’Avenir (Wings of the Future).
The association collaborates with numerous NGOs and international institutions, such as the World Food Programme, the Red Cross, Handicap International, and Mécénat Chirurgie Cardiaque.
The proceeds from the auction will contribute to financing a global-scale project: the creation of the first hospital-plane, a world premiere and an innovative device designed to quickly deploy a mobile care unit in the most remote areas of the planet. In parallel with the auction, Aviation Without Borders will present this project at the Paris Air Show, where it will also showcase the Nynja ultralight aircraft assembled by the young people of the Ailes de l’Avenir workshop, which will be offered for sale.
« In a world more uncertain than ever, the challenges are numerous. Only your generosity and your solidarity will allow us to finance our current missions and our new projects, such as our hospital-plane or humanitarian drones. Essential innovations to continue being close to distressed populations. Together, let’s continue to move mountains »
– Gérard Feldzer,
Président of Aviation Sans Frontières
Thank you to Artcurial and Aviation Sans Frontières for their remarkable commitment. I have deep admiration for the humanitarian mission they carry out: delivering aid through aviation. The pilots, volunteers, and everyone involved in the organization embody exemplary dedication »
– John Travolta, Actor and Airline Pilot
« The dedication of Aviation Sans Frontières reflects a principle that is close to my heart: putting the best of aviation at the service of those who need it most. I am proud to be the patron of this charity auction and full of admiration for all those who, through their expertise, bring hope to people across the wolrd »
– José Garcia,
Actor, Private Pilot and sponsor of the auction
Charity Auction :
Wednesday, June 18, 2025, at 8 PM
Public Exhibition : Alongside the Le Bourget Show
From Friday, June 13 to Wednesday, June 18
11 AM – 6 PM
PRESS CONTACTS
Anne-Laure Guérin
+33 (0)1 42 99 20 86
alguerin@artcurial.com
Déborah Bensaid
+33 (0)6 23 68 46 69
dbensaid@artcurial.com
Artcurial
7 rond-point
des Champs-Elysées Marcel-Dassault
75008 Paris
About Aviation Sans Frontières
Since 1980, Aviation Without Borders has utilized the resources and expertise of the aeronautical world for humanitarian Ppurposes, whether through missions carried out by mobilizing the air network, operations conducted with its own planes, or actions implemented in collaboration with flying clubs in France.
A recognized NGO of public utility, it provides essential logistical support to hundreds of humanitarian actors by ensuring the delivery of emergency aid and the transport or accompaniment of people worldwide. Thanks to its 800 volunteers, Aviation Without Borders responds daily to about twenty humanitarian requests.
About Artcurial
Founded in 2002, Artcurial, the leading French auction house based in Paris, confirmed its leading position on the international art market in 2024.
With 4 sale venues in Paris, Monaco, Marrakech and Basel, the auction house achieved an overall sales total of 186.6 million euros in 2024. Artcurial covers all the major specialist fields including Fine Arts, Decorative Arts, Collectors’ Cars, Jewelry, LWatches, Fine Wines and Spirits.
www.artcurial.com
With a strong international vocation, Artcurial maintains its Presence abroad with offices in Brussels, Milan, Monte-Carlo, Munich and Marrakech as well as a presence in Austria and Spain.
Joining forces with Beurret Bailly Widmer in 2023 to increase its presence in Switzerland, Artcurial will open a new space in Geneva in March 2025.