EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg
EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg | |||||||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||||||
Airport type | International | ||||||||||||||
Owner | France and Swiss canton of Basel-City | ||||||||||||||
Operator | L'administration de l'Aéroport de Bâle-Mulhouse | ||||||||||||||
Serves | |||||||||||||||
Location | Saint-Louis, France | ||||||||||||||
Opened | 8 May 1946 | ||||||||||||||
Operating base for | easyJet Switzerland | ||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 270 m / 885 ft | ||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 47°35′24″N 007°31′45″E / 47.59000°N 7.52917°E | ||||||||||||||
Website | www | ||||||||||||||
Map | |||||||||||||||
Location of airport in Alsace region | |||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||
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Statistics (2021[2]) | |||||||||||||||
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EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg (IATA: MLH, BSL, EAP, ICAO: LFSB)[note 1][1] is an international airport in the administrative commune of Saint-Louis, in the French Alsace part of the Trinational Eurodistrict of Basel. It is 4.7 km (2.9 mi) west of the tripoint of France, Germany, and Switzerland, 3.5 km (2.2 mi) northwest of the city of Basel in Switzerland, 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Mulhouse in France, and 46 km (29 mi) south-southwest of Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany. The airport is jointly administered by France and Switzerland, governed by a 1949 international convention. The airport serves as a base for easyJet Switzerland and mainly features flights to European metropolitan and leisure destinations.
History
[edit]Foundation and early years
[edit]Plans for the construction of a joint Swiss–French airport started in the 1930s but were halted by the Second World War. Swiss planners identified Basel as one of the four cities for which a main urban airport would be developed and recognized that the existing airfield at Sternenfeld in Birsfelden was too small and, due to the development of the adjacent river port facilities, unsuitable for expansion. The suburb of Allschwil was proposed for a new airport, and this would require being constructed across the Franco-Swiss border, leading to talks with French authorities centered on developing a single airport that would serve both countries, enhancing its international airport status.[6]
In 1946 talks resumed and it was agreed that an airport would be built 4 km (2.5 mi) north of Blotzheim, France. France would provide the land and the Swiss canton of Basel-Stadt would cover the construction costs. Basel-Stadt's Grand Council agreed to pay the costs for a provisional airport even before an international treaty was signed (which was not until 1949). Construction began on 8 March 1946 and a provisional airport with a 1,200 m (3,900 ft) runway was officially opened on 8 May.[citation needed]
Between autumn 1951 and spring 1953, the east–west runway was extended to 1,600 m (5,200 ft) and the "Zollfreistrasse"(fr:Route douanière de l'aéroport à Bâle) (customs-free road) was constructed, allowing access from Basel to the departure terminal without passing through French border controls.[citation needed]
The first enlargement project was approved by referendum in Basel in 1960 and, over the following decades, the terminals and runways were continually extended. The north–south runway was extended further to 3,900 m (12,800 ft) in 1972. In 1984, an annual total of 1 million passengers was reached. In 1987, the trademark name EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg was introduced.[7]
In 1992 a total of 2 million passengers used the airport. By 1998, this number rose up to 3 million.[citation needed]
In December 1998, Swissair inaugurated service to Newark using Airbus A310s.[8][9] The main reason it launched the route was that it had heard another carrier was planning to begin flights from Basel to Newark; Swissair wanted to start flying the route before the other airline did. The company also hoped to attract people working for the pharmaceutical companies in Basel.[10] Crossair, a subsidiary of Swissair, code-shared on the flight. The carrier operated a hub at the EuroAirport, from which it flew to 40 regional destinations.[11]
Development in the 2000s
[edit]Swissair terminated the flight to Newark in March 2000, saying it suffered from low occupancy.[9][12] The local newspaper bz Basel commented that the airline did not advertise it well.[10]
A decision was made to enlarge the terminals again with a new "Y-finger" dock. The first phase was completed in 2002 and the second phase in 2005.[citation needed]
Crossair was the largest airline at the Basel airport. Following the Swissair liquidation in 2001, the subsequent ending of services in early 2002, and the transformation of Crossair into Swiss International Air Lines, the number of flights from Basel fell and the new terminal was initially underused.[citation needed] In 2004 the low-cost carrier easyJet opened a base at Basel and the passenger totals rose again, reaching 4 million in 2006.[citation needed]
From 2007 until 2009, Ryanair also flew to the airport for the first time. However, as a result of a dispute over landing fees, the airline closed all eight routes.[13] More recently Ryanair announced it would return in April 2014, with the resumption of Basel–Dublin route as well as a short-lived revival of the Basel – London–Stansted route. Ryanair added a Basel-Zagreb route in December 2021.[14]
In May 2008, Air Transat commenced seasonal service to Montreal.[15][16] The airline flew an Airbus A310 on the route.[17] In December 2014, Swiss International Air Lines announced it would cease all operations at Basel by 31 May 2015 due to heavy competition from low-cost carriers.[18] Swiss faced direct competition on five out of its six Basel routes, all of which were operated by Swiss Global Air Lines. The Lufthansa Group announced it would set up Eurowings' first base outside Germany at the EuroAirport as a replacement. However these plans were later cancelled in favour of Vienna Airport.[19]
In January 2017, the removal of Basel/Mulhouse from Air Berlin and its Swiss subsidiary Belair's route networks was announced.[20]
International status
[edit]EuroAirport is one of the few airports in the world operated jointly by two countries,[21] in this case France and Switzerland. It is governed by a 1949 international convention. The headquarters of the airport's operations are located in Blotzheim, France.[22] The airport is located completely on French soil; it also has a Swiss customs border and is connected to the Swiss customs area by a 2.5-kilometre (1.6 mi)-long customs-free road to Basel, allowing air travellers access into Switzerland bypassing French customs clearance. The airport is operated via a state treaty established in 1946 wherein the two countries (Switzerland and France) 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 advisers from Germany.[23]
The airport building is split into two separate sections: Swiss and French. Though the entire airport is on French soil and under French jurisdiction, 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 allowed to execute random checks in the Swiss section as well.[23] With Switzerland joining the Schengen Treaty in March 2009, the air side was rearranged to include a Schengen and non-Schengen zone.[24] As border control is staffed by both Swiss and French border officers, passengers arriving from non-Schengen countries must approach the customs office of the country for which they have received the Schengen entry visa, which is either France or Switzerland. On the other hand, the Schengen area can be left from any Schengen area country.
Due to its international status, EuroAirport has three IATA airport codes: BSL (Basel) is the Swiss code, MLH (Mulhouse) is the French code and EAP (EuroAirport) is the neutral code.[1] Some booking systems show different ticket prices for flights to BSL and MLH, as one of them can be a domestic flight within France (with different rules on fuel taxation, etc.), and in some cases, tickets can be issued where a "flight" between BSL and MLH is shown on the itinerary. The airport's ICAO airport code is LFSB. LSZM, the old code, has been reassigned to the airport of Mollis.[3]
In 2020, a French court decided that job contracts on the airport are governed by French labor laws, not Swiss ones. Basing on a 2012 agreement, the Swiss companies active on the airport have used Swiss labor regulations, which are more employer-friendly than the French ones. For example, the Swiss laws made it easier to dismiss workers, while the French rules prescribe a 35-hour week, earlier retirement, and much higher compensations in case of dismissals. In exchange, working under Swiss laws results in much higher wages.[25]
Terminal
[edit]The EuroAirport consists of a single terminal building, a brick-style main area with four levels and the Y-shaped gate area attached to it. The basement (Level 1) contains the access to the car park, the ground level (Level 2) features the arrivals facilities. Level 3 is the check-in area divided into halls 1–4 while the departure gates are located at Level 4. The gate area features gates 1–2, 20–46, 60–61 and 78–87 of which gates 22–32 are used for non-Schengen flights.[26] Six of the boarding gates feature jet bridges, the others are used for walk- or bus-boarding. The entry and exit area is divided into French and Swiss parts.
Airlines and destinations
[edit]Passenger
[edit]The following airlines offer regular scheduled and charter flights at the EuroAirport:[27]
Cargo
[edit]Airlines | Destinations |
---|---|
Air Canada Cargo[60] | Toronto–Pearson |
Korean Air Cargo[61] | Seoul–Incheon, Vienna |
Qatar Airways Cargo[62] | Doha |
Statistics
[edit]Passenger numbers
[edit]Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
Route statistics
[edit]Rank | City | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pristina | 284 309 | 253 805 | 201 715 | 103 806 | 158 867 | 138 668 | 115 066 | 105 338 |
2 | Amsterdam | 178 776 | 137 704 | 50 288 | 56 954 | 222 480 | 219 746 | 210 215 | 206 986 |
3 | Istanbul (Sabiha Gökçen) | 157 419 | 123 097 | 77 204 | 47 625 | 103 528 | 87 709 | 78 588 | 70 338 |
4 | Barcelona | 134 424 | 126 305 | 55 043 | 33 727 | 177 693 | 179 538 | 173 414 | 170 492 |
5 | Palma de Mallorca | 134 345 | 121 081 | 74 794 | 26 692 | 153 240 | 172 534 | 182 496 | 155 949 |
6 | London (Heathrow) | 134 225 | 85 406 | 7 228 | 28 202 | 140 676 | 140 289 | 129 091 | 126 362 |
7 | Antalya (Antalya) | 116 426 | 102 593 | 41 213 | 28 639 | 75 789 | |||
8 | Budapest | 112 128 | 102 377 | 37 241 | 32 234 | 124 652 | 89 290 | ||
9 | Porto | 107 450 | 101 608 | 65 625 | 54 460 | 108 173 | 108 106 | 106 307 | 103 998 |
10 | London (Gatwick) | 102 422 | 110 952 | 14 213 | 33 326 | 143 672 | 141 380 | 138 051 | 135 895 |
Other facilities
[edit]- The headquarters of Swiss International Air Lines and Swiss Global Air Lines are on the grounds at EuroAirport Basel–Mulhouse–Freiburg in the Swiss section of the airport; even though the airport is within France, the Swiss head office is only accessible from Switzerland.[64][65] The Swiss division Swiss Aviation Software has its head office there as well.[66]
- Farnair Switzerland formerly had its head office at EuroAirport. As in the case of the Swiss head office, the area with the former Farnair head office may only be accessed from Switzerland.[67] The head office moved to its current location, the Villa Guggenheim in Allschwil, in proximity to EuroAirport, on 1 October 2011.[68]
- Hello, a now defunct Swiss airline, had its head office in the General Aviation area of EuroAirport.[69]
- Prior to the formation of Swiss International Air Lines, the regional airline Crossair was headquartered on the grounds of EuroAirport.[70] Prior to its dissolution, Crossair Europe was headquartered on the grounds of EuroAirport as well.[71]
Ground transportation
[edit]Car
[edit]The airport is connected to motorway A3 which leads from Basel to the southeast of Switzerland passing Zürich.
Bus
[edit]There are several bus connections to and from the EuroAirport to all three countries around it:
- On the Swiss exit Basel's BVB bus No. 50[72] connects the airport to the Basel SBB railway station, which is the main Swiss and French railway station in Basel. During weekdays, there is a service every 7–8 minutes and on weekends, every 10 minutes during daytime. The duration of the trip is about 20 minutes. On the day of a visitor's arrival to Basel, a reservation confirmation from a local hotel guarantees a free transfer by public transport from the station or the EuroAirport to the hotel.[73]
- On the French exit, Saint-Louis' DistriBus bus No. 11 connects the airport to the Saint-Louis railway station in 10 minutes.[74]
- The German private bus company Flixbus calls at Zürich, Basel and Freiburg Germany up to five times a day. FlixBus however only serves the French exit of the airport. Serving Swiss destinations from the French part of the airport is a questionable legal trick, as people transport by foreign companies inside of Switzerland is illegal without official authorization due to cabotage regulations, which will not be granted by Swiss authorities on routes already supported by tax-financed public services. It's illegal to travel between Swiss destinations only. Police started to do random checks and to fine failing travelers. Serving Swiss destinations from abroad however is compliant.[75][76]
Rail
[edit]As of 2021, the closest train station is the Saint-Louis-la-Chaussée station, some 900 m (3,000 ft) north of the terminal. Plans to build a dedicated airport rail link have existed for some time, however political delays have pushed the earliest operating date to 2035.[77]
Tram
[edit]There are two town tramway systems in relatively close proximity to the airport - Basel tramway and Mulhouse tramway. As the former was extended across the border in the 2010s, there are plans to further extend it to serve the airport. Presently,[when?] the tramway serves St Louis SNCF Station, where one can change for the shuttle bus to the airport. Plans to extend the Mulhouse tramway to the airport do seem to be further from realization, however.[citation needed]
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ IATA airport 3-letter codes for the French area, the Swiss area, and the metropolitan area
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Airline and Airport Code Search: 3-letter airport code". Quebec, Canada: International Air Transport Association (IATA). Retrieved 6 November 2014.
Search for location
- ^ "Bulletin Statistique du trafic aérien commercial - année 2021" [Commercial Air Traffic Statistics Bulletin - year 2021] (PDF; 4,45 MB). ecologie.gouv.fr (in French). Ministère de la Transition écologique et de la Cohésion des territoires. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ a b LFSB – BÂLE-MULHOUSE. AIP from French Service d'information aéronautique, effective 3 October 2024.
- ^ "Annual Report 2013 (2/3): Key Figures" (annual report) (in French, German, and English). l'Aéroport de Bâle-Mulhouse. 21 May 2014. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
- ^ EAD Basic. Eurocontrol Archived 23 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Bell, E. A. (10 May 1945). "Swiss Planning". Flight and Aircraft Engineer. XLVII (1898). Royal Aero Club: 501. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
- ^ "EuroAirport - Serving the needs of the RegioTriRhena". EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ Collis, Roger (18 December 1998). "Taking the long thin airlines". International Herald Tribune. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
- ^ a b "Zum Ende der Swissair-Verbindung vom EuroAirport nach New York/Newark" (Press release) (in German). EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. 3 February 2000. Archived from the original on 27 October 2000. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ a b Schuppli, Stefan (30 May 2015). "Der Euro-Aiport sagt "Aadje" Swiss, willkommen Skywork". bz Basel (in German). Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ Collis, Roger (10 January 1999). "Practical Traveler; Euro Airport as Regional Hub". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ "Swissair to end Basel-Newark service". The Journal of Commerce online. 6 February 2000. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
- ^ "Ryanair verlässt den EuroAirport". baz.ch/. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ "Ryanair Zagreb Flights to Basel, Eindhoven, Paphos Officially Launch Today". total-Croatia-news.com. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
- ^ "30.05.08: Erstflug Air Transat nach Kanada" (Press release) (in German). EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. Archived from the original on 29 November 2011. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
- ^ "Air Transat. Une nouvelle ligne Mulhouse-Toronto". Le Télégramme (in French). 6 June 2008. Archived from the original on 19 February 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2022.
- ^ Kunadt, Ralph. "Photo Blog 2008". Airlinerphotos.com. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- ^ "Kurznachrichten: SWISS verlässt Basel, Regierungsterminal in Berlin und Fluggastzahlen von Air France". airportzentrale.de. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ "Lufthansa-Billigairline: Eurowings: Wien statt Basel - aeroTELEGRAPH". aeroTELEGRAPH. 18 February 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ "Das Streckennetz der new airberlin - airberlin.com". Archived from the original on 11 February 2017. Retrieved 26 February 2017.
- ^ Cochennec, Yann (27 August 2018). "Des avions et des hommes : destination EuroAirport". air-cosmos.com.
- ^ "General conditions of use Archived 28 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine". EuroAirport. Retrieved on 24 September 2009. "The Site is published by Basel–Mulhouse Airport, a Franco-Swiss public enterprise governed by the international convention of 4 July 1949 concerning its construction and operation and the headquarters of which are situated at 68730 Blotzheim, France".
- ^ a b "Schweizerisch-Französischer Staatsvertrag vom 4. Juli 1949 (Höflichkeitsübersetzung)" (in German). EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. 1 November 2006. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- ^ "Terminal plan". EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg. Archived from the original on 12 May 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- ^ "EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse: Ärger wegen Rechtsunsicherheit" [EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse: Annoyance because of legal uncertainty] (in German). Südwestrundfunk (SWR). 25 July 2022. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
- ^ "Terminalplan". Archived from the original on 29 March 2015. Retrieved 6 June 2015.
- ^ a b "Our destinations - EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg".
- ^ "Flight schedule".
- ^ "Air Arabia Maroc adds Rabat international service in NS24". Aeroroutes. 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Air France NS24 Paris European Frequency Variations – 21JAN24". Aeroroutes.
- ^ "AJet NS24 New Flight Number Designations – 12MAR24". Aeroroutes.
- ^ "Condor NS24 Palma de Mallorca Network Additions". Aeroroutes. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
- ^ "Cyprus Airways unveils strategic plan, new summer routes | Cyprus Mail". 14 December 2022.
- ^ Timetables Easy Jet
- ^ a b "Wer im Sommer neben Condor neu in Basel startet". 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Fünf neue Easyjet-Ziele ab der Schweiz". 11 June 2024.
- ^ "easyJet Adds Manchester-based A321neo Service in NW24". Aeroroutes.
- ^ "Nuevo vuelo entre Sevilla y Suiza a partir de noviembre". 27 June 2024.
- ^ "EasyJet cancels flights to Israel for six months after Iran attack". Independent.co.uk. 16 April 2024.
- ^ "easyJet to resume Israel flights next week". Globes. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
- ^ a b "News for Airlines, Airports and the Aviation Industry | CAPA".
- ^ "Easyjet apre 8 rotte natalizie". 29 October 2021.
- ^ "Easyjet legt neue Griechenland-Flüge ab Basel und Genf auf". 30 November 2023.
- ^ "EasyJet puts autumn 2022 flights on sale across Europe - Livdose". Archived from the original on 17 December 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
- ^ "EASYJET NS23 NETWORK ADDITIONS SUMMARY – 30JAN23". Aeroroutes. 31 January 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2023.
- ^ "News for Airlines, Airports and the Aviation Industry | CAPA".
- ^ "Aeroporto Salerno, in vendita sulla App di EasyJet i biglietti per i voli da metà luglio". 29 February 2024.
- ^ "flydubai schedules Basel launch in August 2024". Aeroroutes. 15 February 2024.
- ^ "Jetsky Airways Aug – Oct 2024 Operations".
- ^ abouttravel.com - "Lufthansa cancels Basel-Munich flights 21 March 2023
- ^ a b "Norwegian NS24 Network Additions – 14NOV23". AeroRoutes.
- ^ Nouvelair inaugure sa nouvelle ligne aerienne tunis Nouvelair.com [dead link]
- ^ https://www.aeroroutes.com/eng/231030-uknw23
- ^ "Ryanair adds over 100.000 seats on Zagreb flights this winter". ExYUAviation.
- ^ "TASSILI AIRLINES ADDS MULHOUSE SERVICE FROM MARCH 2023". Aeroroutes. 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
- ^ wizzair.com - Timetable retrieved 1 November 2021
- ^ "Wizz Air: Patru rute noi din Iasi și Craiova din decembrie 2022". 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Stamattina conferenza-stampa Wizz Air a Roma - Durante la quale il vettore aereo annuncerà novità". 17 November 2021.
- ^ "AIR CANADA CARGO ADDS BASEL/MULHOUSE SERVICE IN APRIL 2023". AeroRoutes. 1 March 2023. Retrieved 1 March 2023.
- ^ cargo.koreanair.com - Flight Operation Status retrieved 17 November 2019
- ^ qrcargo.com retrieved 12 September 2019
- ^ Statistik, Bundesamt für (March 2018). "Luftverkehr: Linien- und Charterverkehr, Jahresresultate 2017 - 2017 | Tabelle". Bundesamt für Statistik.
- ^ "Facts and figures Archived 1 February 2010 at the Wayback Machine". Swiss International Air Lines. Retrieved on 13 June 2009.
- ^ "Swiss International Air Lines Basel Archived 25 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine". Swiss International Air Lines. Retrieved on 24 September 2009.
- ^ "CONTACT". Swiss Aviation Software. Retrieved on 17 September 2011. "Swiss AviationSoftware Ltd. BSLSAS/MA P.O.Box, CH-4002 Basel, Switzerland Marketing & Administration" The location is implied by this picture Archived 27 March 2012 at the Wayback Machine which is of the Swiss head office at Basel Airport.
- ^ "How to find us". Farnair Europe. Retrieved on 8 December 2010.
- ^ "Contact Us". (Archived 5 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine) Farnair Switzerland. Retrieved on 19 February 2012.
- ^ "Hello Location Archived 10 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine". (Direct image link) Hello. Retrieved on 1 July 2010.
- ^ "Location". Crossair. Retrieved on 13 June 2009.
- ^ World Airline Directory. Flight International. 23–29 March 2004. 58.
- ^ "BVB – Line network". Basel, Switzerland: BVB. Archived from the original on 28 May 2011. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
- ^ "Mobility Ticket". Basel, Switzerland: Basel Tourismus. Archived from the original on 22 August 2016. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
- ^ "Navette EuroAirport" [EuroAirport shuttle] (in French). Saint-Louis, France: DistriBus. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
- ^ Petar Marjanovic (16 June 2016). "Umstrittene SBB-Konkurrenz: Bund will Fernbus-Tricksern an den Kragen". Blick (in German). Zurich, Switzerland. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ SDA/gr (10 November 2016). "Bundesrat über Fernbus-Trickser: Verstösse kaum nachzuweisen!". Blick (in German). Zurich, Switzerland. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
- ^ https://www.aerotelegraph.com/ab-basel-koennten-taegliche-langstreckenfluege-in-die-usa-angeboten-werden
External links
[edit]Media related to Bâle-Mulhouse Airport at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website (in English, French, and German)
- Aeronautical chart and airport information for LFSB at SkyVector
- Current weather for LFSB at NOAA/NWS
- Accident history for BSL at Aviation Safety Network
- Accident history for MLH at Aviation Safety Network
- "Franco-Swiss treaty for the construction and use of Basel–Mulhouse airport in Blotzheim" (1949). Text available in French and German.
- History of Basel Airport on Airport Website (in German)
- Information and some history on Airport Website Archived 7 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine (in English)