Skip to content
All articles

Market

Vlorë airport contract termination and the Zvërnec resorts: what changes for property in Vlorë

The airport did not open and the government moved to terminate the contract, while three more projects emerged in Zvërnec. What it means for buyers in Vlorë.

By 7 min read

Vlorë airport contract termination and the Zvërnec resorts: what changes for property in Vlorë

For years, two words have appeared in almost every advert for flats and land in Vlorë: "airport" and "resorts". In summer 2026 both took on a different meaning. Vlorë International Airport did not open, and in August the government started proceedings to terminate the concession contract. Meanwhile in Zvërnec, the tourism project linked to Jared Kushner sparked protests that reached their 100th day, and at the end of September three more projects in the same protected area came to light. Here we explain what happened, what is still unknown, and how to read this news if you are buying, selling or investing in Vlorë.

Cover photo: Shpëtim Ujkani / Unsplash

The airport: from promise to contract termination

Investment value of Vlorë airport (Lexo, 5 August 2026)
€103.9m
Works completed according to the independent engineer, 20 May 2026
70%
Share of works certified on the same date
57%
Runway length, able to take wide-body aircraft
3,200 m

The airport lies about 10 km north of Vlorë, near the village of Akërni, with a runway 3,200 metres long and 60 metres wide and a terminal of about 22,000 m² (Wikipedia, based on public sources). The concession contract was signed on 19 April 2021, and the target date for starting operations was 20 February 2026 (Lexo, 5 August 2026; Vox News, 19 August 2026).

That date passed without a single flight. In April 2026 the summer opening was postponed and contracts with tour operators were cancelled because the airport had not been certified (Bulevard, 10 April 2026). The extra 90-day period ended on 20 May 2026. On that date, according to the independent engineer's report, about 70% of the works had been carried out, but only 57% had been certified (Lexo, 5 August 2026).

On 5 August 2026 the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy formally notified the company MABCO Constructions that it was starting the procedure to terminate the contract (Shqiptarja, 5 August 2026). In a statement on 19 August, the government cited Article 15.4 of the agreement and argued that operations had not started by the target date, that the proposed deadlines kept changing (first August 2026, then 1 March 2027) and that a dispute between shareholders had created "concrete and insurmountable" obstacles (Vox News, 19 August 2026). Behgjet Pacolli, the owner of MABCO, said the state was choosing the path of international arbitration (Shqiptarja, 5 August 2026).

Vlorë airport, key dates
  1. Concession contract signedAccording to Lexo
  2. Target date for starting operationsPasses without flights
  3. Summer opening postponedContracts with foreign operators cancelled, according to Bulevard
  4. 90-day extension endsIndependent engineer: 70% of works done, 57% certified
  5. Ministry starts contract terminationMABCO warns of arbitration
  6. Government explains its reasonsOperating date missed, deadlines changed several times

What is still unknown: when and by whom the airport will be operated, how long any arbitration might take, and whether compensation could end up costing the state budget. None of the sources we reviewed gives a new opening date.

Photo: Albinfo / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0

Zvërnec: from one project to four

The best-known project in the area belongs to Zvernec South Adriatic Development, a company linked to Jared Kushner, for a luxury resort covering more than 1.3 million square metres, with a government permit. In April a razor-wire fence appeared, closing off Pishë Poro beach, part of the Vjosë–Nartë Protected Landscape, and the preparatory works were later suspended (Balkan Insight, 30 June 2026). The protests known as the "Flamingo Revolution" reached their 100th day on 7 September 2026 (Balkan Insight, 7 September 2026).

On 29 September 2026, Bulevard reported that three more resorts are being planned in the same protected area:

Three other projects in the Pishë Poro–Nartë protected area
Arte Marea 1Green Investment49,985 m² in total, 8,424 m² of structures, 1–3 floorsPreliminary permit from the KKTU (May–June 2025)
Salterra 2Turi M.Z.P4,250 m² covered area, 11 floors proposedConditional permit, documentation still incomplete
ResortConcord Investmentabout 13.6 ha of forest (Soda Forest)Environmental approval and conditional permit
Source: Bulevard, 29 September 2026

According to Bulevard, these projects became possible after the 2024 amendments to the law on protected areas (Law 21/2024), which added tourism as a permitted activity. The same source reports that the land is linked to businessman Artur Shehu, who is being investigated by SPAK, the special anti-corruption prosecutor, for money laundering in connection with a €128 million land deal, while local residents claim the land was allocated to them under AMTP land-ownership acts issued under Law 7501.

Photo: Pix 1 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Places mentioned in this article

Choose a place to see its details on the map.

Source: Lexo, Bulevard, Balkan Insight (2026); coordinates are approximate

What this means for the Vlorë property market

The airport is not yet a fact. Many projects in Vlorë and on the Riviera have been sold on the strength of an airport "opening soon". Since 5 August, that argument has no known date. If an agent or developer tells you the price reflects the airport, ask them to separate what the property is worth today from the value being promised.

Demand for the coast remains strong. According to the Bank of Albania's survey, homes in coastal areas now sell in 8.2 months on average, faster than before (we covered this in our article on tourism after summer 2026). The airport delay has not stopped that trend, but it may weigh on the short holiday-letting season, especially for foreign visitors who would have flown directly into Vlorë.

Protected areas carry legal risk. Buying a unit in a project inside or next to a protected area, particularly when permits are "conditional" and ownership of the land is disputed, can be blocked by investigations, complaints or policy changes. The suspension of works in Zvërnec shows this is not theoretical.

Before you buy in Vlorë or on the Riviera0 of 6
Nobody knows. On 5 August 2026 the ministry started terminating the contract and the company warned of arbitration. The previously proposed date of 1 March 2027 was cited by the government as one of the deadlines that kept changing.
The sources we reviewed do not show prices falling in Vlorë because of the airport. What has changed is the risk: part of the "future value" promised by sellers now has no clear date.
Law 21/2024 allows tourism in protected areas, but the projects reported by Bulevard have conditional permits and disputed land. Get independent legal advice before making any payment.

To compare asking prices in the city, browse properties for sale in Vlorë and value a property with our valuation tool. Buying from abroad? Our guide for buyers abroad covers the steps.

Apartments for sale in VlorëSee all

Sources

Read more

Share the article

New articles by email

Guides on buying, renting and the property market in Albania, straight to your inbox.

One email when we publish a new article. You can unsubscribe at any time. Privacy

Comments

Log in to join the conversation.

No comments yet. Be the first to share your view.

Related articles

List property