When will Vlora airport open, and does it matter for buying in Vlorë?

No date is set. As of October 2026 Vlora International Airport has no scheduled flights: the opening once planned for June 2026 slipped, and in August 2026 the government began terminating the concession over missed deadlines and a dispute between its shareholders, which is now before an arbitration court in London. The airport was planned in 2021 with a 3,200 m runway and room for up to 3 million passengers a year, for about €104 million.

Data compiled by Fedir AlpatovUpdated

The airport in figures

Vlora International Airport
ItemFigureSource
Runway3,200 maeroTELEGRAPH, 2021
Terminal22,000 m²RTSH, 2025
Planned capacityup to 3 million passengers a yearaeroTELEGRAPH, 2021
Investmentabout €104 million, 35-year concessionaeroTELEGRAPH, 2021
Certification flightMay 2025RTSH
Status, October 2026not in use, no scheduled flightsShkodraWeb; Vlore Circle
Sources · 3

Timeline

From the concession to the dispute
DateEventSource
December 2021Concession to Mabco and YDA for 35 yearsaeroTELEGRAPH
May 2025First certification flightRTSH
26 June 2026Planned first route, to Zurich; not flownRTSH; ShkodraWeb
August 2026The ministry begins terminating the concessionOculus News
September 2026Mabco asks a London arbitration court for interim measuresAlbanian Daily News
Sources · 4

What it means for buyers in Vlorë

For buyers in Vlorë the airport is a possible future plus. Today:

  • Vlorë asking prices were the highest of the cities in Deloitte’s Property Index 2025: €2,400/m² on average in 2024, up 25% in a year.
  • The official reference price in Vlorë is 61,800 ALL/m², about €672, a 2016-level figure still in force.
  • Domlivo lists 6 flats in Vlorë (Oct 26, 2026), too few for a price of our own.
  • International visitors fly into Tirana, which handled 11.6 million passengers in 2025.

If a sales pitch promises flights to Vlorë next season, ask which airline has announced which route.

Questions and answers

No. As of October 2026 it has no scheduled passenger flights and no confirmed opening date.

Sources

  1. aeroTELEGRAPH: Albania gets a third international airport. aeroTELEGRAPH, 2021-12-05 (accessed 2026-10-21)
  2. RTSH: New gateway to the Albanian Riviera, Vlora airport takes off in 2026. RTSH (public broadcaster), 2025-09-01 (accessed 2026-10-21)
  3. Oculus News: Albania begins terminating the Vlora airport concession. Oculus News, 2026-08-04 (accessed 2026-10-21)
  4. Albanian Daily News: Mabco accuses government of seeking to transfer the Vlora airport concession. Albanian Daily News, 2026-09-13 (accessed 2026-10-21)
  5. ShkodraWeb: Vlora airport, an owners’ dispute or a matter of competition? (opinion). ShkodraWeb, 2026-10-11 (accessed 2026-10-21)
  6. Vlore Circle — "Vlora International Airport Delayed Beyond 2026", 2026-01-01 (accessed 2026-09-09)
  7. Hashtag.al — Deloitte Property Index 2025, 2025-10-13 (accessed 2026-09-09)
  8. VKM 132/2018 on the taxable value of buildings, consolidated with VKM 457/2023 (Annex 1 reference prices). Ministry of Finance, Directorate of Property Tax, 2023-08-01 (accessed 2026-10-21)
  9. SeeNews — "Tirana airport handles 8.7% more passengers in 2025", 2026-01-01 (accessed 2026-09-09)
  10. Domlivo Price Index: median asking price per m² of flats for sale, by city and district. Domlivo (accessed 2026-10-19)

What is missing

Gaps we know about: questions we have no reliable data for yet.

  • No official ministry statement on the termination could be opened; the account comes from the press.
  • Sources differ on the terminal size (22,000 or 34,000 m²) and on first-phase capacity.