“Vlora Airport”, the draft law on its negotiations is presented to the Parliament

Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Damian Gjiknuri presented today in the Parliamentary Commission on Production, Trade and Environment, where the draft law “On the determination of the special procedure for negotiation and conclusion of the contract between the Albanian state and the companies’ Cengiz Construction & Kalyon & Kolin Construction, with the object of designing, constructing, operating, maintaining and managing the airport of Vlora city ” was reviewed.

“It is about building a new airport in Albania, Vlora airport, but it does not normally serve only the city of Vlora. It is an airport that will serve all of Albania, an international airport, not a simple tourist airport. It aims to get a large part of the market in Albania, but also to serve as an important gateway to the growing number of tourists visiting Albania, “said Minister Gjiknuri.

Referring to the increase in the number of passengers using air traffic, Minister Gjiknuri said that there is an average increase of 10.5% annually of the number of passengers moving from Rinas Airport as the only international airport in Albania.

“Rinas Airport has gone for nearly 2.7 million passengers and is normally reaching its limits. So first of necessity or market needs, trade rationality, the need is there. Secondly, if you look at the number of charter flights that have started using Rinas Airport, we have an enormous increase. Suffice to tell you a figure since 2013, we have a 62% increase in charter reductions, especially in the tourist season. Demand is constantly on the rise and from all the contacts and information we have in constant demand, introducing new lines or requests from different countries of origin to come to Albania, as the tourism range is growing, “Gjiknuri explained.

In the point of view of Minister Gjiknuri, the government’s approach is to improve the infrastructure, meaning the completion of all road networks that lead to the most visited areas of Albania and practically, he noted, the focus of the investments was in this direction.

The feasibility study for this project has been made by one of the most serious American international companies, which has also given concrete figures about the possibility that this airport will take passengers, plus the potential that it has with the continuous growth that tourism will have in Albania.

This project will create an economic value chain, creating at least 1000 new jobs, both in the construction phase, and various services that will be linked to airport functions.

Minister Gjiknuri expressed the conviction that it has to do with a serious project and that the companies that have proposed it are very serious and they have financial and technical capacities.