EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, EAP

EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (IATA: BSL, EAP, MLH, ICAO: LFSB) is an international airport near Mulhouse (France), Basel (Switzerland), and Freiburg (Germany). It is located in France, on the administrative territory of the commune of Saint-Louis and handled 4,020,322 passengers in 2006.

International status

Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg is one of the few airports in the world operated jointly by two countries, France and Switzerland. Contrary to popular belief, the airport is located completely on French soil, but is operated on an agreement established in 1946 where both Switzerland and France are granted duty-free access to the airport. The airport's board has 8 members from each country.

The airport itself is split into two architecturally independent halves, one half serving the French side (today considered the Schengen side) and the other half serving the Swiss side; there is a customs point at the middle of the airport so that people can "emigrate" to the other side of the airport. The "finger dock" which provides access to the aircraft is in a joint international zone into which all passengers emigrate before they board the plane.

The Geneva Cointrin International Airport can also be accessed from both countries, with distinct French and Swiss customs zones, but no international zone.

Due to its unique international status, EuroAirport has three airport codes: BSL (Basel) is the Swiss code, while MLH (Mulhouse) is the French code and EAP (EuroAirport) is the international code.

This three code status often results in some interesting effects - including price differences between fares offered to or from one airport code or the other, and tickets which are built of 'connections' and therefore 'non-stop'. For example, an Air France flight from MLH - CDG may be cheaper than one from BSL - CDG; and the flight from BSL - CDG will actually be ticketed as with a 'stop-over' in MLH, then consisting of two legs, a non-existent BSL - MLH one, and a flown MLH - CDG one.

Airlines and destinations

Aigle Azur (Algiers, Constantine, Hurghada)
Air Algérie (Constantine)
Airlinair (Rennes)
Air France (Bordeaux, Clermont, Lyon, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Toulouse)
Austrian Airlines
Austrian Arrows (Vienna)
British Airways (London-Heathrow)
Cimber Air (Copenhagen)
easyJet (Berlin-Schönefeld, Liverpool, London-Luton, London-Stansted)
easyJet Switzerland (Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Hamburg, Istanbul-Sabiha Gökçen, Lisbon, Madrid, Malaga, Naples, Nice, Palma de Mallorca, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Prague, Rome-Ciampino)
LTE International Airways (Gran Canaria, Tenerife)
Lufthansa (Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich)
Royal Air Maroc
Atlas Blue (Marrakesh)
SkyEurope (Bratislava)
SunExpress (Antalya)
Swiss International Air Lines
Swiss European Air Lines (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Budapest, London-City, Manchester, Nice, Prague, Warsaw, Zürich)
TUIfly (Fuerteventura, Kos, Lanzarote, Menorca, Munich, Palma de Mallorca, Rhodos, Tenerife)
Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Atatürk)
Twin Jet (Marseille, Toulouse)

Airport Guide

Full Airport Name
EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg

Address
EuroAirport, Boite Postale 120, F-68304 Saint Louis Cédex, France

Airport Code
BSL

Country Code
41 (Switzerland) or 33 (France)

Telephone
(0)613 253 111 (Switzerland) or (0)3 8990 3111(France)

Fax
(0)613 252 577 (from Switzerland) or (0)3 8990 2577 (from France)

E-mail
Via the airport's website

Website
www.euroairport.ch

Number of Terminals

1 (with Swiss and French sectors)

Location

The airport is located 8km (5 miles) northwest of Basel and 25km (15.5 miles) south of Mulhouse

Information and Help Desks

Airport information (tel: (0)3 8990 2511 or 8990 2512 in France and (0)613 252 511 or 252 515 in Switzerland) is situated in the Arrivals hall, on the second floor, between the French and Swiss sides of the airport.

Airport Facilities

Money and communications: There is a bank, ATMs and a bureau de change, which is open 24 hours. Eating and drinking: There is a restaurant on the fifth floor, serving both sectors; bars and snack bars are located on levels 2, 3 and 4. Shopping: There are several duty-free shops in the International Terminal. Luggage: There is no left-luggage service at the airport.

Facilities for Disabled Travellers

Two companies, CGS and Penauille, are in charge of disabled facilities at the airport. They provide wheelchairs and also transport passengers to/from aircrafts in courtesy vehicles. Disabled toilets, lifts and specially lowered public telephones are all available.