Minister of Infrastructure Enea Karakaçi spoke to the Economy Committee about Vlora airport, a dispute that ended in arbitration after VIA sued the government because the Ministry initiated procedures to terminate the contract, following clashes between the two partners. The minister stressed that the contract has been cancelled since September and that within a few days they would present to Parliament the measures they will take for this project, without clarifying what these measures are.
Cara: What is happening with Vlora airport, is work underway? Who is managing it? And has the cancellation of the contract taken effect?
Karakaçi: Vlora airport was supposed to be operational in February 2026; it is public infrastructure. The concessionaires, due to disputes among themselves, have caused delays in the project. By the end of February 2026, not only should construction have been completed but the airport should also have been operational. This did not happen. In March, MIE had the right to terminate this contract, it did not do so, and it was asked to resolve the dispute. In August, with no certainty about the works, we started procedures to terminate the contract.
The interim arbitrator handled this with great care and assessed that MIE was within its rights to terminate the contract, and that by the end of September we had this concession contract terminated. In the coming days, some measures will come to parliament regarding this airport.
On 29 May, Minister of Infrastructure Enea Karakaçi issued a 30-day ultimatum to the two partners of the company that won the concession to build the airport, asking MABCO of Behgjet Pacolli and 2A Group of Valon Ademi to resolve the disputes between them and complete the works.
In the 29 May letter, the government stated that the disputes that arose have no connection with the contracting authority, and warned of the possibility of terminating the contract, referring to the breach of deadlines for completing the works.
Airport operations should have started in February 2026, and the maximum deadline was May, but due to conflicts between the partners, which have already become a long legal battle, the airport is not only non-operational but the works have not been finalized either.