Aviation | Euro Airport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg
Euro Airport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg - 80 Years of Airport- A Success Story of Trinational Cooperation
| 2026-05-08 |     |
On May 8, 2026, Basel-Mulhouse Airport marks the 80th anniversary of its inauguration. Since 1946, the binational airport has developed into a key infrastructure for the trinational region – and into a symbol of successful cross-border cooperation in Europe.
Just a few months after the end of the Second World War, a first provisional runway was built on French soil within a remarkably short period of time. On 2 May 1946, the first civil aircraft landed on the temporary airfield, before the airport was officially inaugurated a few days later, on 8 May 1946.
The idea at the time was both pragmatic and visionary: to create a shared airport infrastructure for the region and to join forces across borders.
With the Franco-Swiss state agreement of 1949, a robust and sustainable framework was established that remains in force to this day. Since then, EuroAirport has evolved into a unique model of bi- and trinational cooperation and an important driver of mobility, economic activity and employment in the Upper Rhine region.
Today, EuroAirport connects the people and businesses of the trinational region with numerous European and intercontinental destinations. At the same time, the airport pursues its development through an approach that combines economic performance, quality and sustainability.
The airport’s 80th anniversary comes at an important stage in its ongoing development. Through a multi-year investment programme of more than EUR 600 million, EuroAirport is laying the foundations for the further modernisation of its infrastructure and the long-term improvement of service quality.
One of the first elements of this investment programme is the currently ongoing refurbishment of the main runway. The works are progressing according to schedule. EuroAirport looks forward to reopening the runway by 21 May 2026 at the latest.
Looking ahead, EuroAirport will continue its development as a high-performing and responsible platform at the heart of Europe – serving the trinational region.
