TIRANA, Albania – Albania's Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy has officially begun procedures to terminate the concession contract for the Vlora International Airport, marking a dramatic setback for one of the country's largest infrastructure projects.
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| Albania's Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy has begun procedures to terminate the concession contract for Vlora International Airport following construction delays and shareholder disputes. |
The project became stalled after a dispute erupted between the consortium's two main shareholders—Mabco Constructions, owned by Behgjet Pacolli, and 2A Group, led by Valon Ademi. The disagreement brought construction work to a complete halt and ultimately moved into the courts, preventing progress on the airport.
Earlier this year, Infrastructure Minister Enea Karakaçi publicly gave both parties a 30-day deadline to resolve their differences and restart construction. However, no agreement was reached within the timeframe.
With the deadline having expired, the Albanian government has now activated the contractual mechanisms required to formally terminate the concession agreement.
Construction of the Vlora International Airport officially began in November 2021. Under the original concession contract, the airport was expected to be completed within three years and begin commercial flight operations during 2025.
Instead, internal shareholder conflicts and the prolonged suspension of construction resulted in significant delays, ultimately prompting the government to move toward canceling the concession.
The future of the strategically important airport project remains uncertain, and it is not yet clear whether the government will seek a new investor, restructure the project, or launch a new concession process.
For Albania, the cancellation represents a major challenge for a project that was intended to boost tourism, improve connectivity along the country's southern coast, and strengthen the region's economic development.