This airport is strangely unique in the world because a nation built it entirely in a different area and it is also divided into two parts. Inside are the two customs offices and the border is in the middle of this enclosure. But that's not all, because this place is very close to the border area of a third country.
What is the only airport in the world where you can land in three different countries at the same time?
EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg international airport, identified by the IATA codes: MLH, BSL, EAP and ICAO: LFSB, is located in the commune of Saint-Louis in Alsace in France and is part of the trinational Eurodistrict of Basel. This airport is located 4.7 km west of the convergence point between France, Germany and Switzerland and 3.5 km northwest of Basel (Switzerland), 20 km southeast of Mulhouse (France) and 46 km south-southwest of Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany).
With a fast connection, travelers can enter Switzerland without going through French customs controls. Photo: Alsace
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The story of the only airport in the world where you can land in three different countries at the same time
The initiative to build an airport that would serve both Swiss How France was created in the 1930s, but the project was interrupted by the outbreak of the epidemic Second World War. The Swiss planners concluded that Basel needed a major urban airport, as the Sternenfeld airfield in Birsfelden was not sufficient due to its size and the impossibility of expansion due to the nearby port facilities. The suburb of Allschwil was chosen for the new airport, which required cross-border development and therefore collaboration with France to create an airport infrastructure that would benefit both countries and strengthen their international connection.
The talks were revived in 1946 and the construction of the airport near Blotzheim was agreed. France, 4 km north. France would give up the land and the canton of Basel-Stadt would finance the construction. Before the international treaty was signed in 1949, the Grand Council of Basel-Stadt committed to financing a temporary airport. Construction began on March 8, 1946 and the temporary airport with a 1,200 m long runway was officially inaugurated on May 8 of the same year.
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What international status does EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg have?
He EuroAirport It is an exceptional case worldwide because, due to an international convention from 1949, the administration is divided between two nations: France and Switzerland. The airport administration is based in Blotzheim, France; Although it lies entirely within French territory, it has a Swiss customs border.
A 2.5 kilometer long road connects the airport directly with Basel and allows travelers to enter Switzerland without going through French customs thanks to a state agreement from 1946 that allows transit without customs or border restrictions between these two countries. The airport's governance structure includes a board made up of equal numbers from France and Switzerland with a total of eight members from each country and is supplemented by two German consultants.
Its strategic location makes the airport the perfect arrival point for anyone wishing to visit Alsace and its surroundings. Photo: Alsace
The airport's design clearly divides its facilities into two sectors: a Swiss and a French one. Although it is located on French soil, the Swiss authorities exercise control in the Swiss sector and apply their own laws regarding customs, medical services and security.
The French police, in turn, are authorized to carry out random checks in the Swiss sector. With the integration of Switzerland into the Schengen area in March 2009, the airport areas were restructured and include Schengen and non-Schengen zones. This means that border control staff consisting of both Swiss and French agents will handle passengers from non-Schengen countries, depending on which country issues the Schengen visa, either France or Switzerland. In addition, the exit from the Schengen area will be made easier for each member country of the agreement.