Kukes International Airport in Albania has begun operations, with the first flight arriving from London, UK on April 18 following a short stop at Tirana International Airport to pick up Prime Minister Edi Rama for the official inauguration.
The airport, which has been constructed on a former refugee campsite 144km northeast of Albania’s capital, Tirana, at a cost of US$28.7m, will ‘open the gates’ to the economic development of the Kukes district, according to Prime Minister Rama.
Flights to and from the UK were given the go-ahead by the Albanian government’s Committee of Experts following its positive assessment of the Covid-19 situation in the UK. Regular international flights between the airport and other locations are expected to begin by May 20.
“Taking into account the significant improvement in the epidemic situation in the United Kingdom, a country that has had an exemplary performance in terms of vaccination, also reflected in the significant decline in hospitalization and fatalities, [the Committee of Experts]has proposed the resumption of flights with this country,” said Minister of Health Ogerta Manastirliu.
According to its CEO, Altin Progonati, Kukes has been designed to operate as a low-cost airport and will offer travelers competitive prices.
