The clash over Vlora Airport is entering an even more complicated phase, amid court battles, international arbitration and conflict among the parties involved in the project. Behgjet Pacolli presented as a victory a decision that, according to his version, overturns the blocking of access to the terminal and clears the way for work to continue.
Pacolli: The appeal overturned the blocking of access to the terminal
In a reaction on social media, Pacolli said that he and the company MABCO had secured another victory after a decision by the Tirana Court of Appeal.
According to him, the Appeal Court overturned an earlier ruling that had led to the blocking of access to the terminal, preventing the completion of the works and the certification of the facility. In the same reaction, he attacked several previous judicial decisions, calling them illegal and driven by outside influence.
The case is heading to arbitration, costs are rising
Pacolli said the dispute has now taken on larger dimensions and is ending up in international arbitration, a development that, according to him, is bringing the company high legal costs and other damages.
He also referred to earlier decisions by the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, while demanding accountability for those who, according to his claims, acted contrary to the law and caused financial consequences for the project.
Status quo and uncertainty over the fate of the project
In his reaction, Pacolli said MABCO’s objective remains the completion of construction and putting Vlora Airport into operation.
But he also raised concern over measures imposed by the international emergency arbitrator, which, according to him, preserve the status quo and restrict certain actions. In his reading, this keeps the project in uncertainty and adds to the cost of every day of delay.
In the background, contract termination and conflict between shareholders
Earlier, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy had launched procedures to terminate the concession contract for Vlora Airport, arguing that deadlines for completing the works had not been respected.
This was the official version from the institutions, while on the ground the conflict had deepened because of disagreements between the two shareholder companies, Behgjet Pacolli’s MABCO Constructions and 2A Group. The clash between the partners was followed by a halt in works and a chain of court decisions that are now also generating new legal costs.
Reports from Kosovo as well on a police appearance
Parallel to developments in Albania, media in Kosovo reported that Pacolli’s former partner in the airport project, businessman Valon Lluka, appeared before Kosovo Police, at the directorate for the Investigation of Economic Crimes and Corruption.
Up to this stage, there are no further official details regarding the content of this appearance or its concrete connection to the conflict over the airport.
At the center of this issue remains a major public project blocked between business interests, judicial clashes and institutional decisions that are being strongly contested by the parties.
Beyond triumphant statements and official justifications, it still remains unclear when and under what conditions Vlora Airport may emerge from the deadlock.