The EuroAirport projects itself with caution in 2023 – Le Journal des Entreprises

“Caution”, the key word for EuroAirport Basel-Freiburg-Mulhouse. After the health crisis which severely affected the activity of the Franco-Swiss public establishment (€104.5 million in turnover in 2021, 6,220 employees including 367 within the public establishment, turnover 2022 not available) then the war in Ukraine and inflation, “new uncertainties, linked in particular to the situation in China, lead us to cautious forecasts”, underlines director Mathias Suhr. The company plans to invest 30 million euros in 2023, compared to 22 million euros last year.

Strong freight and industry

The binational airport has not yet regained its 9.1 million passengers from 2019, a record year. But after the plummeting of the health crisis (2.6 million passengers in 2020), “we are gradually approaching the level of 2019 and the end of the year 2022 was satisfactory, notes Mathias Suhr. together, the situation is quite good on the operational side.” In 2022, 7 million travelers used the terminal, which expects to welcome 7.4 million in 2023.

The cargo and aircraft interior fittings sector held up well. The volume of the first is slightly down (-4.2%) compared to 2021 with a shift from air freight (-9.5%) to road freight (+4.4%). The industrial sector, which represents a third of the direct jobs at the airport platform through four companies (Jet Aviation, AMAC Aerospace, Air Service, Basel and Nomad Technics AG) “made a few layoffs in the context of the war in Ukraine but it is stable”, comments Mathias Suhr. Order books are full, management expects stability in both sectors in 2023. Employment is up slightly across the platform with the resumption of hiring at the public establishment.

Improve the quality of service

The EuroAirport strategy dates from 2019 and needs to be adapted to the post-health crisis reality. The board of directors must finalize this year the new project for the next five years. The objective is in particular to “improve the quality of service”, poses Mathias Suhr. Among the investments are the modernization of the arrivals level and the setting up of an experiment in autonomous baggage drop-off, the renovation of the tarmac and the partial refurbishment of the main runway and taxiways. The technical studies of rail connection project from the terminal to the Mulhouse-Basel line are underway but European funding still needs to be secured. The airport has launched the study to adapt the terminal. In 2022, 25 airlines served 90 destinations.

Ecological measures continue within the framework of the“net zero carbon” objective by 2030. The airport has been buying 100% renewable electricity of European origin since May 2020 and is served by electric buses. It plans to be connected to a biomass heating plant by 2025.