Basel Mulhouse Airport: A Slice Of Three Countries

EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is an international airport located near the borders of Switzerland, France, and Germany. The airport is unique in that it is binational, jointly managed by France and Switzerland, and divided into a Swiss sector and a French sector. It is one of the few airports in the world to be jointly operated by two countries and is governed by a 1949 international convention. The airport is located entirely on French soil, 4 km northwest of Basel, Switzerland, and 20 km southeast of Mulhouse, France.

The airport is jointly operated by France and Switzerland

The EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is one of the few airports in the world that is jointly operated by two countries, in this case, France and Switzerland. The airport is located entirely on French soil, in the administrative commune of Saint-Louis, France, and is under French jurisdiction. However, due to its proximity to the Swiss border, it also has a Swiss customs border and is connected to the Swiss city of Basel by a 2.5-kilometre customs-free road, allowing travellers to bypass French customs clearance.

The unique arrangement of the airport is governed by an international convention from 1949 and a state treaty established in 1946, which grants both countries access to the airport without any customs or other border restrictions. The airport's operations are jointly managed and governed by a board comprising eight members each from France and Switzerland, along with two advisers from Germany.

The airport features a single passenger terminal that is divided into a Swiss sector and a French sector, with an internal border allowing transit between the two. The Swiss authorities have the authority to apply Swiss laws regarding customs, medical services, and police work in the Swiss section, while French police can conduct random checks. The airport serves as a hub for easyJet Switzerland and Corendon Airlines Europe, offering flights to European destinations.

The idea of a multinational airport in the region dates back to the 1930s but was halted by World War II. Discussions resumed after the war, and the airport's construction was made possible by the Swiss canton of Basel-Stadt providing funding while France offered the land. The airport has seen significant expansion and upgrades over the years, including the addition of a second runway and improvements to terminal facilities, to accommodate the increasing passenger volume.

It is located on French soil and under French jurisdiction

The EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is located on French soil and under French jurisdiction. The airport is entirely within France, in the administrative commune of Saint-Louis, in the Alsace region. It is situated near the borders of Switzerland and Germany, 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) northwest of Basel, Switzerland, and 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Mulhouse, France.

The unique aspect of this airport is its binational status, as it is jointly operated and managed by France and Switzerland. The airport is divided into a Swiss sector and a French sector, with an internal border allowing transit between the two. This setup is governed by an international convention from 1949, and the airport's board has eight members each from France and Switzerland, along with two advisers from Germany.

Despite being on French soil, the Swiss authorities have the authority to apply Swiss laws regarding customs, medical services, and police work in the Swiss section of the airport. This includes the 2.5-kilometre customs-free road connecting Basel with the airport, allowing travellers to bypass French customs. The Swiss sector is accessible only from Switzerland, and French police can conduct random checks in this area as well.

The EuroAirport's IATA codes reflect its international status: BSL (Basel) is the Swiss code, MLH (Mulhouse) is the French code, and EAP (EuroAirport) is the neutral code. The airport serves as a hub for airlines like easyJet Switzerland and Corendon Airlines Europe, offering flights to European destinations.

The airport is divided into Swiss and French sectors

The EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is unique in that it is binational, jointly managed by France and Switzerland, and divided into a Swiss sector and a French sector. The airport is located entirely on French soil, under French jurisdiction, but the Swiss authorities have the authority to apply Swiss laws regarding customs, medical services and police work in the Swiss section. This includes the customs-free road connecting Basel with the airport, which allows travellers to bypass French customs clearance. The airport is operated via a state treaty established in 1946, which grants both countries access to the airport without any customs or other border restrictions.

The airport's board has eight members each from France and Switzerland and two advisers from Germany. The headquarters of the airport's operations are located in Blotzheim, France. The airport's single terminal is divided into halls 1–4, with the departure gates located at Level 4. The gate area features gates used for non-Schengen flights, and six of the boarding gates feature jet bridges. The entry and exit area is divided into French and Swiss parts, and passengers can cross from the finger dock, which is considered an international zone, into the French or Swiss sectors.

The Swiss section of the airport is home to the headquarters of Swiss International Air Lines and Swiss Global Air Lines. However, the Swiss head office is only accessible from Switzerland. The French police are entirely responsible for security at the airport, and French police can also execute random checks in the Swiss section. The airport serves as a hub for easyJet Switzerland and Corendon Airlines Europe, with top international destinations including Amsterdam, Berlin, Barcelona, London (Gatwick and Heathrow), and Frankfurt.

The idea of a multinational airport in the region dates back to the 1930s, before being halted by the Second World War. Discussions restarted in 1946, with Switzerland agreeing to cover construction costs and France providing the land. The airport is located 4 kilometres northwest of Basel city centre, 20 kilometres southeast of Mulhouse, and 46 kilometres south-southwest of Freiburg im Breisgau. It is the only airport in the world jointly operated by two countries.

It is governed by a 1949 international convention

The EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg is located in the administrative commune of Saint-Louis, in the French Alsace part of the Trinational Eurodistrict of Basel. The airport is located entirely on French soil, 4 km northwest of Basel, Switzerland, 20 km southeast of Mulhouse, France, and 46 km south-southwest of Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany. It is one of the few airports in the world that is jointly operated by two countries, France and Switzerland, and is governed by a 1949 international convention.

The airport is unique in that it is binational, jointly managed by France and Switzerland, and divided into a Swiss sector and a French sector, connected by an internal border that allows transit between the two sectors. The headquarters of the airport's operations are located in Blotzheim, France, and the airport is operated via a state treaty established in 1946, wherein the two countries are granted access to the airport without any customs or other border restrictions. The airport's board has eight members each from France and Switzerland and two advisors from Germany.

The forerunner of today's international airport was the Basel-Sternenfeld Airport in Birsfelden, which opened in 1920 as a temporary airport on land owned by the canton of Basel-Landschaft. In the 1930s, plans were made for the construction of a joint Swiss-French airport, but these were halted by the Second World War. In May 1945, talks resumed with France, leading to a basic agreement under which France would provide the land, and Switzerland would build the runways and airport buildings. On July 4, 1949, the Franco-Swiss treaty was signed in Bern, and construction of the first temporary infrastructure began. The first airport infrastructure at Basel-Mulhouse was built in two months and inaugurated on May 8, 1946, after the first civilian plane landed there a few days earlier, on May 2.

The airport has a single passenger terminal and is the main hub for EasyJet Switzerland and Corendon Airlines Europe. It features flights to European metropolitan and leisure destinations and serves as a gateway to a rising number of business travellers affiliated with commercial businesses in Basel and its locality. The airport has seen a steady increase in passenger volume over the years, with around 8.9 million passengers in 2024, an increase of 10.2% compared to the previous year.

The closest train station is Saint-Louis-la-Chaussée

The closest train station to Basel Mulhouse Freiburg Airport, also known as EuroAirport, is Saint-Louis-la-Chaussée. The airport is located in the administrative commune of Saint-Louis, in the French Alsace part of the Trinational Eurodistrict of Basel. It is 4.7 km west of the tripoint of France, Germany, and Switzerland, and 3.5 km northwest of the city of Basel in Switzerland. The airport is jointly administered by France and Switzerland and is governed by a 1949 international convention. It is one of the few airports in the world operated jointly by two countries.

Saint-Louis-la-Chaussée station is about 900 meters north of the airport terminal. The distance between the train station and the airport is approximately 4 miles. There are a few ways to get from the train station to the airport, including by train and bus, which takes about 22 minutes and costs $2 to $6. The fastest way to get to the airport from the train station is by taxi, which takes about 6 minutes and costs $11 to $13.

There is no direct bus from the Saint-Louis-la-Chaussée station to the airport. However, there are bus services that depart from Basel EuroAirport, Ankunft station and arrive at Basel, Friedrich-Miescher-Str. station. The journey, including transfers, takes approximately 46 minutes. There are also town tramway systems relatively close to the airport, including the Basel tramway and the Mulhouse tramway. The Basel tramway has been extended across the border and there are plans to further extend it to serve the airport.

The airport is unique in that it is binational, with a Swiss sector and a French sector connected by an internal border that allows transit between the two sectors. The Swiss authorities have the authority to apply Swiss laws regarding customs, medical services, and police work in the Swiss section, including the customs road connecting Basel with the airport. French police are also allowed to execute random checks in the Swiss section.

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