I am Expat - Jan De Boer
Rather than celebrate the news that passenger numbers at the airport continue to rise, officials at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg have struck a far from jovial tone. In their annual media conference, officials described the airport as “inadequate and unsatisfactory”, promising that a new terminal building will be built in the near future.
In 2023, Basel airport welcomed 8,1 million passengers, a 15 percent increase compared to 2022 but still 11 percent lower than the pre-pandemic peak recorded in 2019. The top three destinations out of Basel were Pristina, Istanbul and London.
Therefore, the company in charge of the airport has announced that they plan to build a new 80-million franc terminal building. In the future, all security checks will be done in the facility, which is planned to be built on the eastern side of the current terminal.
The new terminal will allow the airport to expand and renovate the old building with more catering possibilities, a shopping centre accessible before security and a revamped outdoor area so that passengers' routes into the building are “easier and more intuitive.” Authorities hope to complete construction by the end of the decade.
