EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg, Badischer Bahnhof and Paris-Basel
12 October 2026
Just a few months after the end of the Second World War, they built the first temporary runway near Mulhouse (Alsace) in a short time. On 2 May 1946, the first civil aircraft landed, and the airport officially opened a few days later, on 8 May 1946.
The connection Basel-Mulhouse-Paris
And on 7 October 2026, Air France celebrated the 80th anniversary of its route between EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg and Paris. This route was launched on 7 October 1946, when an Air France Bloch 220 flew the first commercial flight from Paris-Le Bourget to the new airport. Since 1946, the binational airport has become a key infrastructure hub for the trinational region, and a symbol of successful cross-border cooperation in Europe.
Foto: © EuroAirport
The idea was as pragmatic as it was visionary: to create joint airport infrastructure for the region and pool resources across borders. The Franco-Swiss intergovernmental treaty of 1949 established the framework under international law and domestic legislation.
The EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg
Since then, EuroAirport has developed into a unique model of bi- and trinational cooperation and a key driver of mobility, the economy and employment in the Upper Rhine region.
Opening on 8 Mai 1946. Photo: © EuroAirport
Today, EuroAirport connects the people and businesses of this tri-national region with numerous European and intercontinental destinations. At the same time, the airport sees itself as a key player in linking economic development, quality and sustainability.
The 80th anniversary coincides with a significant phase in the airport’s ongoing development. With a multi-year investment programme totalling over 600 million euros, EuroAirport is laying the foundations for further infrastructure modernisation and long-term improvements in service quality.
The Badische Bahnhof
However, a predecessor on wheels and rails had existed since 1855. As early as 1852, the Swiss Confederation had concluded a state treaty with the Grand Duchy of Baden to build a station for the Grand Duchy on the territory of the canton of Basel-Stadt. Baden sought a connection to the Paris–Strasbourg–Basel railway network, the Lake Constance region, and along the Rhine.
This station is known as the Badische Bahnhof. The station is situated on Swiss territory but is owned by Deutsche Bahn. Under the repeatedly amended 1852 state treaty, special arrangements apply to the powers of the Swiss and German customs and police authorities.
During the Second World War, this was especially important for Jewish refugees, though unfortunately it did not always help them.
Originally, the station stood elsewhere in Basel, but it has been at its current site since 1913. The Grand Duchy of Baden, and with it the Badische Bahnhof, were eventually absorbed into other German states and into the federal state of Baden-Württemberg within the Federal Republic of Germany.
The Strasbourg–Basel Railway Company
In a sense, the Badische Bahnhof was not the first international station on Swiss territory either. In June 1843, Basel decided to extend the Paris–Strasbourg–Saint-Louis railway line to Basel. The concession was granted to the ‘Strasbourg–Basel Railway Company’ (Compagnie du chemin de fer de Strasbourg à Bâle/Gesellschaft der Straßburg-Basler-Eisenbahn).
Opening of the first railway station in Switzerland, Basel, 11 December 1845. Picture from the magazine «L’Illustré», Paris. Source: Wikimedia
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On 15 June 1844, the first French train arrived at the new station in Basel, and in December 1845, Switzerland’s first station opened. Although the station was under Swiss control and the French authorities had no say in its management, it was a Franco-Swiss collaboration.
Basel, SBB Bahnhof with two clocks: for the Swiss time (on the left) and for the French time (they differed until 1894)
The SBB station replaced the original station as early as 1860. Today, however, it remains a border station with customs facilities, and French trains are sometimes even announced as part of the SBB station when the SBB train approaches!
(Source and further information: EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg)