# Vlora International Airport

Vlora International Airport (alternatively spelled Vlorë International Airport) is an international airport under construction since 2021 near Akerni in the Pishë Poro-Nartë Protected Landscape adjacent Vjosa Wild River National Park, 10 km north of the city of Vlorë, Albania. This airport will be the third international airport in Albania after Tirana International Airport and Kukës International Airport. The project also includes the construction of aircraft service area, pilot academy, and marina and agri-tourism site as part of the airport.

## History

On 17 January 2018, the Turkish-consortium that built the Istanbul Airport, offered to build Vlorë Airport in a regional project that also paves the way for Albania to set up its national flag carrier (Air Albania) and reduce current ticket prices. The Turkish joint venture consortium of Cengiz-Kolin-Limak-Mapa-Kalyon offered to build the airport as part of the assistance the Albanian government has been receiving from the Turkish government and Turkish Airlines. However, the Turkish consortium decided to withdraw from the initiative a year later.
In September 2019, a new project was announced by the Albanian Government consisting of the construction of a marina and retail complex including an agritourism site.
The tender for the construction of the airport was temporarily suspended by the Albanian government on 31 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A consortium made up of Behgjet Pacolli's Mabco Constructions, the Turkish YDA Group and the Kosovar 2A Group Shpk was the winner of the international tender and the contract was signed on 20 April 2021. Prior to the commencement of the construction of the airport, environment and archaeological studies were carried out. The construction of the airport will take 36 months and the project includes the construction of a 3.2 km (2.0 mi) runway, hangar for aircraft maintenance and cargo service. The work for the construction of the airport was launched officially on 28 November 2021 with a completion target time of April 2024.
As of August 2024, the airport is set to open in the summer of 2025.

### Environmental concerns

In December 2020, the Albanian government approved the construction of an international airport in Vlora, located within a protected area, sparking significant backlash from conservationists. These groups argue that the project breaches both national regulations and international biodiversity agreements, citing inadequate environmental reviews and a lack of public engagement. They worry that the airport could disrupt vital migration routes and harm the surrounding ecosystem. In September 2022, it was reported that several organizations, including Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania, Albanian Ornithological Society, and EcoAlbania, were preparing to file a lawsuit to challenge the legality of the project and its potential long-term environmental impact.
The building of the Vlora Airport inside the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area is in contradiction to national laws and international biodiversity protection conventions that Albania has ratified. The Vjosa Wild River National Park is a candidate for the Emerald site network, which provides shelter to more than 62 species of birds listed in the EU Birds directive. The Bern Convention called on the Albanian Government to review the plans to build an airport inside the Vjosa-Narta Protected Area. The new airport is planned to accommodate wide-body aircraft and will be the biggest airport in the country. It is expected to have a major impact on economic growth and tourism, but on the other hand, a grave negative impact on the biodiversity of the area as the airport will be located entirely in the Narta Lagoon, which is a protected area in Albania. Environmentalists have expressed their concern about the possible collision of airplanes with birds, as Narta Lagoon is a major breeding and living place of migratory birds, such as the Dalmatian pelican. A spokesman for the Albanian Ornithological Society said that the planned airport was too close to Tirana Airport for the project to make sense.