The Albanian Parliamentary Assembly has today approved the extension of the Mother Theresa Airport concession by 13 years, for the benefit of the Kastrati company.
In December, the sale of the concession from a Chinese company to Kastrati was completed. Shortly after, Minister of Infrastructure Belina Balluku said that the first she heard of it was in the media.
A couple of weeks later, the government proposed extending the concession for 13 years, from its initial 22 years. This was done in return for Kastrati pledging to invest around EUR 100 million in the airport including a new runway and terminal and reduced passenger fares. Kastrati will now run Albania’s main (and currently only) international airport.
The Kastrati Group is also behind Kukes Airport, has a significant portion of the Durres Port, and stakes in the highway connecting Albania to Kosovo.
Prime Minister Edi Rama has spoken in favour of the extension of the concession for the Mother Theresa airport by 13 years for the benefit of Kastrati Shpk.
During a press conference, he praised the return of the concession to an Albanian company from a Chinese one.
“I am very happy that the airport will finally become a new investment site which was not made by the Chinese, including a new runway and terminal.”
