Shaikh Zayed International Airport (Kukës)

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Shaikh Zayed International Airport (Albanian Aeroporti Zayed bin Sultan ) is Albania's second -functioning civilian commercial airport. The airport a few kilometers south of the Albanian town of Kukes northeast to the village Shtiqën is also improved and functional, but has been up and running only very sparse. In May 2009, the first flights were conducted.

Potential uses and problems

The potential for air traffic is not large in the poor Albanian northeast. A business plan has not been created by government. In particular, since the opening of the highway from Durres Kukes after missing the need for intra- Albanian flights: Travel by car in the Albanian centers on the coast have become more shorter hours and very reasonable.

Thanks to the new motorway, the airport is however in direct competition to Tirana airport, which is only about one and a half hours. Another possible potential exists in international travel to Kosovo. Kukes, which is 45 kilometers away from Prizren, could serve as a commercial airport for the South West of Kosovo and so the Prishtina Airport relieve that needs to be closed again also due to unfavorable weather conditions. Originally the airport to have been built especially for the transport of goods.

International flights can be carried out at the time but from the airport Kukes not. Hochtief Airport, the operator of the airport Tirana, has contractually seek assurances in 2004 an exclusive right for 20 years, all international flights have to go to Albania Tirana Airport. The operator of the airport Tirana denied in 2006, they would have an interest to also operate the Kukes airport. But they would support the responsible authorities in the development of the airport.

The exclusive right is according to the contract but only up to a certain frequency passenger at Tirana valid, has been exceeded in the meantime. Hochtief Airport and the Albanian government negotiated in December 2010, the details of the concession contract from new with the aim not only to be able to take the international flight operations in Kukes, but also to build a new airport at Saranda.

Were spotted at the airport even helicopters of the Albanian Air Force.

History

A first airstrip was established in the interwar period under King Zog on the Fusha e meteorite south of Kukes ( 353 müa ). In 1941, she was built by the Italian occupiers to a small airfield, which occupied about 17 ha with time. During the communist regime, this was only used for military purposes and emergencies and stay and now lives a restricted military zone.

As stranded Albanian refugees from Kosovo in Kukes during the Kosovo War, tens of thousands, the place moved into the international interest. Here, even the very poor transport links of the highlands in the north-eastern Albania was obvious that made ​​it difficult to care for refugees. In a short time, the airfield was still poorly developed in 1999 by Emirati military engineers to enable first aid flights can. According to eye- witnesses to have landed a Boeing. Sheikh Muhammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan offered from the United Arab Emirates, then a donation of 14.2 million U.S. dollars for the construction of an airport in Kukes, which he wanted to bring his gratitude for the poor local population to express the generous Kosovar refugees had received and supported. In May 2003, ground was broken for the new, after the first President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan designated airport. End of 2006, the construction work performed by an operating since 1992 in Albania Kuwaiti company, essentially complete. The construction but has had numerous other costs result at the expense of the Albanian State and has around 30 million U.S. dollars have cost.

During construction, there were protests by villagers from the neighborhood, who were dissatisfied with the compensation for expropriation.

Radar and other facilities of the flight control have been established until after 2006. The Albanian Transport Minister Sokol Olldashi explained that the airport was ready since September 2007 to handle arrivals and departures. At that time, the necessary tests had been completed. Although the airport has since been on the operating license, no aircraft movements were still observed.

In May 2009, commercial flights between Tirana and Kukes were first offered and the flight operations thus officially recorded. Whether the announced weekly flights an Albanian company were carried out regularly with a small chartered plane, is not confirmed. Negotiations with the operators of Tirana Airport in late 2008 had not led to any new results: still allowed on Kukes no international flights are handled.

End of June 2010, the airport in the presence of Ilir Meta, Deputy Prime Minister of Albania, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates and son of its namesake, was officially opened. The construction costs were thereby given with 22 million U.S. dollars. Information about the future use were not disclosed.

Infrastructure

The small airport meets international category C. It is designed for the handling of medium-sized aircraft with 75 to 100 passengers, four of which can be parked simultaneously. Is operated from the airport Albanian state. Since the airport is not used, the maintenance is problematic.

Besides runway and apron, a passenger terminal, an access road, a tower, a storehouse, runway lighting and a fire station were built. The 57 acre site is surrounded by a 5,000 -meter-long fence. The baggage handling systems were supplied by the German manufacturer Hukom.

In the summer of 2009, plans were published, which is 1900 meters long runway by 250 meters to lengthen and widen to 50 feet, so that they correspond to international standards.