Geneva's international airport, often swamped in winter by skiers heading for the Alpine slopes, on Wednesday unveiled what officials said was the world's first mobile passenger terminal.

The tent-style construction, with check-in desks and computers for self-registration, was conceived and built by an Austrian company, TMT Management, for both large and small airports with temporary capacity problems.   

"The terminal can be used not only to handle surges of passengers, but also to back up airports hit by natural disasters and when major sports events are held in a catchment area," TMT managing director Thomas Melcher said.

Geneva's airport is a major hub for the British-based budget airline Easyjet and Swiss, part of Lufthansa.

Many big international carriers like British Airways and Air France-KLM also have several daily flights.
   
The airport's director, Robert Deillon, said the mobile terminal would be used through the winter, and later during expansion work.

"We have been looking for something like this for years," he told a news conference.   

TMT officials said the terminal was conceived as a flexible structure with arrival and departure modules that could be adapted and expanded to function as satellites.

It can be installed and dismantled within a week and be moved to other locations, they added. - Reuters