The work to construct the airport in Kukes, north-eastern Albania, a strategic project due its location between Tirana and Prishtina, as well as a project with tremendous potential for Albania’s national economy, has already started. Kukes airport will mainly service low-cost flights. Prime Minister Edi Rama attended the ceremony marking the inauguration of works to construct the new airport, which is expected to usher in a new era of economic development in the entire north-eastern region of Kukes. The project will generate thousands of new jobs that will be created year after year with the business and local economy development.

“It has been decided that all existing buildings will be demolished in order to make way for a completely new and modern terminal that will be fully and effectively operational. Building an additional second runway, which will be elongated by several hundred meters, will certainly take time. However, construction works will be kept on schedule,” the Minister of Infrastructure and Energy Belinda Balluku said.

“The construction works will complete within a year,” the construction company’s manager affirmed.

On his part, PM Rama said that an airport’s operator will be certified with the assistance of the European partners once construction phase completes. He added that staff will undergo a training program on the airport’s management.

“It takes a number of certification and accreditation procedures as it was the case with the national airliner “Air Albania” that took many checks, verifications and inspections by various teams from international bodies. However, it is important that the civil works complete as soon as possible,” the Premier noted.

The Kukes airport covers an area of 512 000 square meters and it has a single runway 1900 meters in length and 45 meters in width. It is an 3C category airport and it accommodates turboprop aircrafts and regional jets. The airport’s projected capacity is around one million passengers a year. The project is set to overhaul the Kukes airport in order to meet the European standards, including the extension of the runway by 500 meters, building a terminal and a new air traffic control tower.