Albania calls for offers to build southern airport

China Everbright

19/12/2019 18:04

By Benet Koleka
    TIRANA, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Albania's government invited
foreign firms on Thursday to submit by March 12 offers to build
and operate for 35 years an airport near the southern town of
Vlore after it failed to reach a deal with a group of Turkish
companies.
    Building new airports became possible because Tirana
International Airport (TIA), fully-owned by China Everbright
Limited  0165.HK , renounced its exclusivity after Albania
sweetened its contract to allow airports in the south and north.
    The government believes new airports will bring air travel
costs down since Albanians continue to pay high prices for
flights out of their only international airport.
    Many citizens and travel agencies use airports in
neighbouring Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo because they have
attracted more low-cost airlines.
    "The international open tender for the Vlore Airport will
close on March 12 next year," Finance Minister Anila Denaj said.
    "This investment is a catalyst for the whole economy and
especially for the whole south," she added.
    Allowing time for complaints and the negotiation of a
contract, the government hopes work will start on May 31.
    Socialist Prime Minister Edi Rama, whose constituency is
Vlore, announced in January, 2018 that Turkish companies Cengiz
Construction, Kaylon Construction and Kolin Construction would
build the airport, but the deal came to nothing.

 (Reporting by Benet Koleka, editing by Ed Osmond)
 ((benet.koleka@thomsonreuters.com; +355 44 50 48 78 ; Reuters
Messaging: Benet.Koleka.reuters.com@reuters.net))