Vlorë International Airport: ministry launches termination of the concession (August 2026)
Status: Termination procedure launched (Aug 2026). Arbitration reported, status after Sept 2026 not confirmed.
Summary
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy launched procedures to terminate the Vlorë International Airport concession, reported by Albanian Daily News on 5 August 2026. The ministry cited repeated delays, incomplete construction, missing contractual documentation and the concessionaire's inability to provide a credible completion timeline. The airport is a Build-Operate-Transfer concession of about 103.9 million euro, awarded in 2021 and due to open by 20 February 2026 with a grace period to 20 May 2026.
The concessionaire company VIA is reported (not confirmed in the original source) to be 98 per cent held by Mabco, which is linked in reporting to the Pacolli group and to the 2A Group. VIA and Mabco reportedly started proceedings in London and ICC emergency arbitration. A report based on the ministry's own account says an ICC emergency arbitrator on 16 September 2026 rejected two of VIA's three requests, including suspension of the termination. Mabco's filing reportedly accuses the government of trying to transfer the project to Israeli businessman Ron Yeffet; no evidence for this was seen. The airport company denies the accusations and says Mabco was removed because it did not finish terminal works on time.
An independent engineer's report, dated 20 May 2026 by one secondary report, found about 70 per cent of works completed and 57 per cent certified. The Supreme Court reportedly rejected an interim security measure in May 2026, and a Tirana court in July 2026 barred the company's bodies from a financing agreement (not confirmed in the original source). The SPAK investigation of the tender is separately listed in the dataset as case-vlore-spak-procurement.
Key facts
- Contract value about 103.9 million euro, Build-Operate-Transfer, awarded 2021 (Albanian Daily News, 5 Aug 2026).
- Ministry grounds: repeated delays, incomplete construction, missing contractual documentation, no credible completion timeline (same source).
- About 70 per cent of works done and 57 per cent certified, per the independent engineer as reported (date not stated in the article).
The record
Four lists kept apart on purpose: what is established, what is only alleged, what is still open, and what those concerned said.
What is proven (2)
Established by documents or official records, as stated in the research. A recorded charge or indictment proves only that the accusation was made.
- The ministry launched procedures to terminate the concession (Albanian Daily News, 5 Aug 2026, reporting the ministry).
- Works are incomplete as stated by the ministry and the independent engineer, per the same article.
What is alleged (2)
Accusations, not findings. Those accused are presumed innocent.
- AllegationMabco alleges a transfer of the project to a third party (UNVERIFIED).
- AllegationConcessionaire side alleges the termination is unjustified (its claims are reported via summaries only).
Allegations and who made them (2)
Each line is an allegation as recorded, with the person or body that made it where the record names them.
- AllegationMabco alleges the government is seeking to transfer the project to Ron Yeffet (UNVERIFIED: secondary report citing the Mabco filing, not confirmed in the original source).
- AllegationOpposition and press claims about the tender process are covered in case-vlore-spak-procurement.
Open questions (3)
- Status of the ICC or London arbitration after 16 September 2026, and whether a damages claim has been filed.
- Exact date of the independent engineer's report (secondary report says 20 May 2026; article says not stated).
- Ownership chain of VIA and whether Mabco's 98 per cent stake is confirmed in the company registry.
Responses (1)
Responses of the people and organisations concerned, as recorded.
- Airport company: rejects the accusations; says Mabco was removed because it failed to complete the terminal works on time (secondary report citing Albanian coverage, UNVERIFIED).
Figures
Money trail →Vlorë International Airport BOT concession: contract value
€103,900,000
Stated definition: About 103.9 million euro, as stated by Albanian Daily News. Not a state payment figure.
Date: 2021 · Payer: Concession company VIA (investment) · Payee: Concession company VIA
- Albania Moves to Terminate Vlora International Airport Concession Over Project Delays (opens in a new tab)Albanian Daily News · 5 Aug 2026 · journalism · EN
Timeline
Full timeline →Other
Ministry launches procedures to terminate Vlorë airport concession
Albanian Daily News reports the ministry has launched termination procedures for the 103.9 million euro Vlorë airport BOT concession, citing delays and missing documents. Concessionaire side signals arbitration, according to secondary reports.
Other
ICC emergency arbitrator reportedly rejects two of three VIA requests
Per a report that relies on the Ministry's own announcement (secondary report, source not reviewed), an ICC emergency arbitrator's order dated 16 September 2026 rejected VIA's request to suspend the termination. The VIA side has not been heard in this record. Treat as UNVERIFIED.
Other
ICC order of 16 Sep 2026: confirmed as reported by Albanian Daily News (Ministry account)
Albanian Daily News (18 Sep 2026) reports that the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy announced that the ICC emergency arbitrator issued the order on 16 Sep 2026 and rejected VIA's request to suspend the termination. The article says 'two of VIA's three requests' were rejected but lists three (suspension, mediation, two-month postponement). The instruction to 'refrain from action' is attributed to Pacolli, not to the order. The order text was not found; VIA's side is not in the sources.
Connections
Launched termination procedure, Aug 2026
Evidence: Albanian Daily News, 5 Aug 2026, reporting the ministry's launch of procedures.
Hypotheses
Possible explanations that connect this record with other findings. They are not findings; each lists the evidence for and against.
- Source label: Unverified
The Vlorë airport termination may be a political reset of a contested concession rather than a pure contract failure
The termination was launched in August 2026 on delay grounds, while the independent engineer reports 70 per cent of works done. The concessionaire is reported to be 98 per cent held by Mabco, and Mabco alleges the government wants to transfer the project to a third party. Read together, the termination could be a delay-based exit that opens the project to a new buyer, which would connect the airport to the dataset's existing Mabco, 2A Group and tender-process material.
Evidence for
- The concessionaire side alleges a transfer to Ron Yeffet (Mabco filing, secondary report citing UNVERIFIED).
- The 70 per cent works versus 57 per cent certified gap points to a disputed certification process (ADN, 5 Aug 2026).
- The SPAK tender investigation was extended to 23 Nov 2026 (dataset: case-vlore-spak-procurement), so the tender itself remains under scrutiny.
Evidence against
- The ministry's reasons (delays, missing documents, no credible timeline) are concrete and reported without any transfer statement by the government in the sources reviewed.
- The airport company says Mabco was removed for failing to finish works on time.
- The 98 per cent ownership and the Pacolli link are from secondary reports and headlines, not from a registry extract.
- The ICC emergency arbitrator reportedly rejected the suspension request, which suggests the procedural merits were not in the claimant's favour at that stage (UNVERIFIED).
Sources for this record
Every source the research cites for this record, grouped by its source label. 3 sources.
Source label: Officially reportedOfficially reported · 1 source
- Publisher
- Albanian Daily News
- Date
- 5 Aug 2026
Source label: Under investigationUnder investigation · 2 sources
- Publisher
- Albanian Daily News
- Date
- unknown
- Publisher
- Albanian Daily News
- Date
- 18 Sep 2026