As the only two countries-the airport in the world

An airport, built and operated by two States - it is only in Basel-Mulhouse. Decisive for this success was 4. July, 1949.

It was a historic Moment, on that Monday, 70 years ago. On 4. July 1949, Switzerland and France, signed in Bern a state Treaty, which gave the joint operation of an airport at Basel festival. It is the first and only Binational airport in the world: Basel-Mulhouse was built that way. But how it came to be?

Already in the 1930s, had begun in Switzerland in order to seek a new location for the Basel airport. For the old Airport star field in the municipality of Birsfelden had to make way for a port and power plant. After various plans for a flight square on Swiss soil had failed, began in 1939 to negotiate with the neighboring country of France on a common solution. In the middle of Mulhouse flight traffic had been handled up to that point on the aerodrome HABs home.

The first construction to two months

These negotiations were interrupted by the Second world war but not completed. In 1945, the talks were resumed at the beginning of 1946, also at the government level. They agreed on a location between Saint-Louis and North to French territory. And buildings from the 8th March, civilian workers and German prisoners of war a first slope, and several simple buildings. After only two months was on 8. May 1946 – on the day exactly one year after the official end of the war – the provisional Airport inaugurated.

Soon, airlines such as KLM and Swissair took the operation in Basel-Mulhouse on with aircraft such as the Douglas DC-3. But it was not until the signing of the state Treaty of 1949 and its entry into force in 1950, secured the Expansion of the permanent bi-national airport. This brought certain characteristics with themselves. Until 2009, the airport was strictly separated into a French and Swiss sector. He gave two departure halls and Check-in counters, Restaurants, Shops and more. Also two strictly separate arrival areas were not available. Visually, this separation is no longer visible, meaning it has now. "Passengers can decide upon arrival whether you want to exit the baggage hall to Switzerland or to France," writes the Airport to do so.

A fenced road as a driveway

Elsewhere, the separation still exists. Until today, the Basel-Mulhouse airport has two separate access routes. Who's driving from Basel to the Airport, does the free in a fenced-in customs road over French territory. Two separate Parking areas with different currencies (Swiss francs in the Swiss part, the Euro in the French part) continue to exist. "There is no border crossing between the Swiss and French Parking", writes the airport to do so. Two Iata-Codes he has up today: MLH for the French area, and BSL for the Swiss part.

Since 1987, the Airport is according to his brand name even trinational EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg. However, the German representatives in the bodies of the right to vote. During 1949 about 26’000 passengers used the airport, should it be at the end of 2019, more than 9 million travelers.

In the above image gallery to see photographs from the early years of the Flufghafens Basel-Mulhouse.

Posted by Jack at .