Vlora International Airport, one of the most heavily promoted infrastructure projects in recent years, has officially entered a new phase after construction work was halted. According to the government’s version, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy has launched procedures to terminate the concession contract, arguing that deadlines were not met and that the conflict between shareholders has left the project at a standstill.
Ministry moves after construction work was suspended
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy has confirmed the start of procedures to terminate the concession contract for Vlora Airport. The main reason, according to the institution, is the failure to meet contractual obligations regarding the project’s completion deadlines.
This development comes as work at the site remains suspended, while a project presented as strategic for the south of the country has failed to deliver the promised result within the timetable announced earlier.
Shareholder conflict reached the courts
At the center of the crisis are disagreements between the two shareholder companies, Behgjet Pacolli’s Mabco Constructions and Valon Ademi’s “2A Group.” The clash between the parties has ended up in court, blocking the resumption of construction work.
Earlier, in June, Infrastructure Minister Ene Karakaçi said the government had given the two shareholders 30 days to resolve the conflict so that the project could emerge from the deadlock.
Contract deadlines were not met
According to the concession contract and the initial investment plan, Vlora International Airport was supposed to be completed within about three years from the start of construction and become operational during 2025.
However, that deadline has now been exceeded in practice, while the government is activating contractual mechanisms only after the project remained blocked because of the conflict between the private partners.
A major project, but with an unclear balance sheet
Construction work on the airport officially began in November 2021. Since then, the project has been treated as a major infrastructure investment, but the current situation raises serious questions about management, oversight and ensuring compliance with deadlines.
With the launch of the procedure to terminate the contract, the issue enters another legal and administrative phase, while it remains unclear what concrete consequences this will have for the fate of the airport and for the delays so far.
For now, work at Vlora Airport remains halted, and the clash between the shareholders appears to have produced not only a physical blockage of the project, but also a contractual crisis with possible costs to the public interest.
The government’s move marks a delayed acknowledgment that the project has gone off the rails of the original plan.