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The airport will bring passengers to the region where Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is planning a lavish investment for wealthy tourists on the island of Sazan.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has promised to turn Albania, one of Europe’s poorest countries, into a tourist magnet. The lure of cheaper prices and a taste of the unknown compared to, say, Greece or Croatia has worked well so far, driving tourist numbers to a record high last year.
But for many, Albania remains off the beaten track. Its isolation during decades of communism under Enver Hoxha left it largely cut off from the international travel network. Rama, who won a fourth term in power last month, wants to change that quickly.
When he visited Vlora airport, the soon-to-open gateway to Albania’s southern beaches, he called it “a reflection of our ambition.” Financed by local investors, the $170 million facility will begin charter flights this summer and be fully operational by the end of the year, its executive director said.
The demand is there. The airport in Tirana, the country's capital, welcomed 10.7 million passengers last year, a 48% increase year-on-year, and the goal is to reach 12 million by 2025. For those seeking sun and sand, Vlora offers another dimension.
The airport will bring passengers to the region where Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is planning a lavish investment for wealthy tourists on the island of Sazan. “The goal is that all the development on the island and the surrounding area will create a powerful magnet for Vlora and Albania,” Rama said last month.
The bet is that Vlora will facilitate access to the southern part of Albania's 500-kilometer (310-mile) coastline, which has recently become a magnet for tourists.
The airport is also part of a larger effort to restore Vlora to a high-end tourist destination. Just a boat ride from Vlora is the island of Sazan, where Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, plans to develop a $1.4 billion luxury resort.
Ambitious tourism, highway and energy projects have boosted the economy, raising living standards. However, the country remains one of the poorest in Europe, leading to a brain drain that has reduced its population by about 20% during Rama's time in power.
The government awarded a 35-year concession to design, build and operate Vlora Airport in December 2019 to a consortium led by Behgjet Pacolli, a Kosovar-Swiss businessman who served as president of his homeland for less than two months.
Tourism is a key contributor to the country's economy, accounting for about 20% of gross domestic product. One in five Albanians also works in the industry, according to data from the World Travel and Tourism Council.
Vlora is now a focal point of Rama's vision to transform Albania into a European tourist hub.
The 3.2-kilometer runway will be able to accommodate wide-body aircraft - including the Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 - making it one of the few airports in the region capable of handling long-haul traffic. The facility's initial capacity is expected to be 2 million passengers per year, with the aim of reaching 10 million within a decade.
Negotiations with airlines are underway with “strong interest” from major low-cost carriers, said Chief Executive Valon Lluka. / Adapted from Bloomberg/
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