NATO announced that on January 24, 2024, new air corridors were created in Albanian airspace to facilitate flights to and from Pristina Airport, the press service of the Alliance announced, BGNES reported.
Flights between Albania and Kosovo are shortened by between 8-12 minutes.
The Air Navigation Services Agency held the official opening ceremony of the air corridors with Albania.
The Prime Minister of Kosovo Albin Kurti, the Minister of Infrastructure Liburn Aliu, the ambassadors of the countries of the Quintet and the Embassy of Albania, representatives of KFOR, as well as representatives of aviation companies in Kosovo participated in a ceremony.
Infrastructure Minister Liburn Aliu said the opening of these corridors would reduce travel costs and time.
"Thanks to the cooperation of our partners, NATO, KFOR and the Albanian state, we reached an agreement at the end of last year. This is a very good option in several aspects such as lower prices, reduced travel time and also financially. Landings at Pristina Airport, even in heavy fog or difficult weather conditions, only require visibility of up to 50 meters for flights to the region. In case Skopje and Tirana face difficulties in landing, they may come to Pristina. The technical part was completed a long time ago", he added.
Meanwhile, Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said it was a historic moment that would undoubtedly shape the future of air transport in the region.
"This is a step towards progress, efficiency and environmental responsibility. By shortening the flight path to and from Kosovo, the travel time is reduced by 8 to 12 minutes. The reduction in flight time translates into a significant drop in fuel consumption, thus minimizing carbon dioxide emissions”.
He thanked the partners, pointing out that the government invested 34 million euros in the project.
"I want to thank all our partners. In this regard, we have made fundamental changes, where the Government of Kosovo has invested 34 million euros. We are proud of the progress we have achieved", emphasized the Kosovo Prime Minister.
German Ambassador to Kosovo Jorn Rohde indicated that the opening of new air routes to Kosovo was achieved after 15 months of teamwork with the authorities of Kosovo, Albania and with the help of the NATO mission in Kosovo KFOR.
He even called the opening of the new corridors delayed, as he said it could have happened several years ago. Rode promised that he would continue the work to open other corridors, mentioning Montenegro.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Kosovo (AAC), which manages the country's upper airspace, the agreement has not been implemented due to some technical procedures that need approval from Albania and the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR.
Unlike Kosovo's lower airspace, which is managed by the AAC, the upper airspace – that above 6,200 meters, open to commercial traffic since 2014 – is under the control of Hungary, specifically HungaroControl, because Kosovo has not yet reached capacity for upper airspace management.
In accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, but also with the laws in force in Kosovo, the KFOR Commander has been responsible for the security of Kosovo's airspace since 1999.
Millions of people travel to and from Pristina International Airport Adem Yashari every year. Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, Austria and the United Kingdom have been the most frequent destinations so far.
Meanwhile, NATO has announced that on 24 January 2024, new air corridors have been established throughout Albania's airspace to facilitate flights to and from Pristina Airport.
According to the NATO announcement, the decision is the result of NATO-led efforts aimed at normalizing civil aviation traffic in the Western Balkans.
"The new corridors will have a positive impact on civil aviation and offer significant benefits, including shorter flight times, lower fuel consumption and reduced pollution," the statement said.
It also states that NATO has been supporting the process of normalizing the use of airspace over Kosovo since 1999, leading the consultations known as the "Balkan Aviation Normalization Meetings".
The announcement of the opening of the air corridors was made on December 28, 2023. The agreement with Albania on the use of the Kosovo air space corridor was reached in 2020. /BGNES
Kosovo and Albania opened new air corridors
