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.

Данные собрал Fedir AlpatovОбновлено

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
Источники · 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
Источники · 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 (5 нояб. 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.

Вопросы и ответы

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

Источники

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

Чего не хватает

Известные пробелы: вопросы, по которым надёжных данных пока нет.

  • 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.