Basel cantons approve €157 million EuroAirport terminal project

The two Basel cantons have cleared a major step for EuroAirport’s terminal overhaul. Basel City and Basel Country approved the plan, which carries an investment of €157 million, or CHF 145 million. The airport authorities will finance the work, aimed at modernising infrastructure and improving how the terminal handles passengers.

The decision puts the project forward, but it does not complete the approval process. The airport board’s investment decision must also be approved by the relevant authorities in Switzerland and France. On the Swiss side, the federal government grants approval in agreement with the two cantons.

That cross-border process reflects EuroAirport’s position as an airport run jointly by France and Switzerland. For the Basel region, the cantonal approvals mark a concrete move towards a larger, refurbished terminal, while the next decisions remain in the hands of authorities on both sides of the border.

The plan combines new space with a substantial refit of the existing building. EuroAirport’s proposal calls for a 14,000-square-metre extension on the terminal’s east façade. A further 15,000-square-metre area in the older part of the airport building is due for comprehensive refurbishment.

Together, the two work areas amount to 29,000 square metres of extension and refurbishment. The investment is intended to modernise airport infrastructure and improve passenger handling. The cantonal governments also say the work should improve operational efficiency, service quality and the passenger experience.

The scale of the refurbishment means the project reaches well beyond adding a new section to the terminal. It also brings a large part of the existing building into the modernisation programme. EuroAirport’s authorities will finance the project, with the total investment put at €157 million, equivalent to CHF 145 million. The airport board’s investment decision still needs approval from the relevant Swiss and French authorities before the project can proceed.

Construction is scheduled to start in 2027, with completion targeted for 2030 or 2031. The timetable sets out a multi-year programme for both the terminal extension and the refurbishment of the existing building. EuroAirport’s plans place the new section on the east façade, alongside the overhaul of 15,000 square metres within the older terminal.

The project is designed to improve passenger handling and the quality of service. The cantons also point to expected gains in operational efficiency and the passenger experience. Those aims place the terminal itself at the centre of the investment, rather than expanding the airport’s capacity to handle aircraft.

EuroAirport has said the modernisation will create no additional aircraft-handling capacity. That distinction defines the project’s stated scope: it is a terminal infrastructure programme focused on the facilities and passenger experience. The planned start and completion dates remain dependent on the required approvals from the relevant authorities in Switzerland and France.

The project’s stated gains centre on terminal operations, service and environmental standards. The cantons say the modernisation should improve operational efficiency, service quality and the passenger experience. EuroAirport has also said the work will meet high environmental sustainability standards during construction and in subsequent operation.

Those commitments accompany a defined limit on the project’s capacity effects: the terminal work will not create additional capacity for aircraft handling. The plan instead combines the east-side extension with a major refurbishment of the existing building, covering 14,000 square metres and 15,000 square metres respectively.

For the Basel cantons, approval backs a substantial airport investment while the Swiss and French approval process continues. If the remaining authorities approve the airport board’s decision, construction is planned to begin in 2027, with completion expected in 2030 or 2031. The airport authorities will fund the €157 million project.