NATO has announced that on January 24, 2024, new air corridors were established throughout Albanian airspace to facilitate flights to and from Pristina Airport.

The reduction of flight trajectories to and from Kosovo includes 8-12 minutes.

The Air Navigation Services Agency held the official opening ceremony of the air corridors with the Republic of Albania.

Participants in this ceremony included Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti, Minister of Infrastructure Liburn Aliu, ambassadors from QUINT countries and the Embassy of Albania, representatives of KFOR, as well as representatives of aviation companies in Kosovo.

Minister of Infrastructure Liburn Aliu stated that the opening of these corridors will lead to lower travel costs and shorter travel times.

“Thanks to the assistance of our collaborators, NATO, KFOR, and the Albanian state, we reached an agreement at the end of last year. It is a very good opportunity in several aspects, such as lower prices, shortened travel time, and also in financial terms. 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 during landings, they may come to Pristina. The technical aspect has been completed long ago”.

Meanwhile, Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti stated that this is a historic moment that will undoubtedly shape the future of air travel in our region.

“It is a step of progress, efficiency, and responsibility towards the environment. By shortening the flight trajectory to and from Kosovo, travel time is reduced by 8 to 12 minutes. The reduction in flight time translates into a significant reduction in fuel consumption, thus minimizing carbon dioxide emissions”.

He thanked the partners, stating that the Government has invested 34 million euros in this direction.

“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 made”.

German Ambassador to Kosovo Jörn Rohde said that the opening of new air routes for Kosovo was achieved after 15 months of teamwork with the authorities of Kosovo, Albania, and with the help of NATO’s mission in Kosovo, KFOR.

He even called the opening of the new corridors delayed, as, according to him, this could have happened several years ago. Rohde vowed that they will continue working to open other corridors, mentioning Montenegro.

According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Kosovo (AAC), which manages the lower airspace of the country, the agreement has not been implemented due to some technical procedures that needed approval from Albania and the NATO mission in Kosovo, KFOR.

Unlike Kosovo’s lower airspace 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. This is because Kosovo has not yet achieved the capacity to manage upper airspace.

In accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1244, but also with the current laws in Kosovo, the KFOR commander is responsible for the security of Kosovo’s airspace since 1999.

Millions of people travel to and from Pristina International Airport “Adem Jashari” each year. Switzerland, Germany, Turkey, Austria, and the United Kingdom have been the most frequent destinations so far.

Meanwhile, NATO has announced that on January 24, 2024, new air corridors were established throughout Albanian airspace to facilitate flights to and from Pristina Airport.

According to NATO’s announcement, this new development is the result of efforts led by NATO aiming to normalize civil aviation traffic throughout the Western Balkans.

“The new corridors will have a positive impact on civil aviation and will offer significant benefits, including shorter flight times, lower fuel consumption, and reduced pollution,” the statement said.

Furthermore, it is stated that NATO has supported the process of normalizing the use of airspace over Kosovo since 1999, leading the consultations known as the “Meetings on the Normalization of Balkan Aviation”.

The announcement of the opening of air corridors was made on December 28, 2023.

The agreement with Albania to utilize the airspace corridor of this country was reached in 2020.