Flash News

Megaoperation/ Group based in Durres, names of Albanian traffickers revealed

Why was the operation carried out after the elections? The question that embarrassed Altin Dumani

A 24-year-old man was found dead in Lake Farka.

Money, businesses, television/ What was seized during the mega-operation? Two officers involved in the criminal scheme

Operation "Bridge", Bari Chief Prosecutor: Albanian Mafia is a very large international force

E-TJERA

The lack of flights at Vlora airport jeopardizes tourism guarantee contracts

Politiko 2025-05-21 08:22:54

The lack of flights at Vlora airport jeopardizes tourism guarantee contracts

Tour operators expected to launch flights with a reduced number and only for charters at Vlora Airport this summer, but something like that is impossible.

A situation like this has put them in difficulty with foreign agencies, who are now faced with the fact that flights will have to be made from Tirana for hotels that have been booked in advance in Vlora, but even this is not entirely possible since there are no free frequencies.

The head of the Albanian Tourist Union, Rrahman Kasa, said that guaranteed contracts with hotels in this area were signed last summer under the promise that flights would depart from the new airport, but this is no longer possible. Prepaid contracts have been applied for the first time on this scale in the city of Vlora, where several hotels have been selected and dedicated to organized Polish tourists.

"Last year we were told that the airport would start flights perhaps in the summer and that it would be possible to at least do this for charters with tourists, but they have now confirmed to us that this is impossible as it must pass some standard security and certification procedures. This has put us in difficulty because we have prepaid several hundred rooms for the entire season and the hotels say that it is not their fault and they do not have to tolerate in terms of payments. Foreign agencies, on the other hand, can very well get caught up in the contract and say that you promised us from Vlora and we do not have to come from Tirana. However, we are in negotiations with them and we have asked them to make flights from Tirana and that the cost of bus transportation be borne by Albanian tour operators, but there is a problem that there are no more free frequencies from Tirana Airport either. So there are no schedules for these planes to land because the number of flights is high," Kasa told Monitor.

He underlined that it still remains unclear what will happen, but the parties are negotiating to find the most suitable alternative so that prepaid contracts can be used.

Organized tourism in the country, especially with the Polish and Czech markets, has been growing year by year, and the region that has received attention has been mainly Golemi and Durrës, both due to the large capacity structures and the proximity to Tirana airport, where transfers are more convenient.

Other regions such as Vlora and Saranda, although they have capacities that can be used with guarantee contracts, have not been included in this type of relationship in previous years due to their distance from Tirana Airport.

The entry into operation of Vlora airport was expected to change this picture, but it seems not for this summer. In the first week of May, the first certification flight was carried out at this airport, where government representatives during the ceremony highlighted that the investment so far has reached the value of 140 million euros.

Beyond the economic benefits that were highlighted at this ceremony, it still remains unclear when flights will fully commence at the new airport./ Monitor

Latest news