The EuroAirport, which serves the Swiss city of Basel, has reported an increase in both passenger and freight figures. The airport is located near the French city of Mulhouse, and also serves Freiburg, which is in Germany.

Just under 4 million people used the airport in 2000, an increase of five per cent on the previous year. However, that marked a considerable slowdown in the airport's growth, after an unprecedented 18 per cent increase in 1999.

The airport's management said that the end of the Basel-New York service explained the lower 2000 increase.

The number of take-offs and landings grew two per cent to 127,000, after a seven per cent growth in 1999.

Freight figures in 2000 rose by 11 per cent to 125,000 tonnes, after having declined the previous year. Much of the freight passing through the airport comes from the French car manufacturer Peugeot.

EuroAirport said it expected growth to accelerate again in 2001, with a 5.3 per cent increase in the number of passengers and a 6.3 per cent rise in freight traffic.

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