REPUBLISHED

Vlora Airport heading for arbitration? Dispute between partners threatens operations

Erblin Vukaj · Originally published: 11 February 2026

The opening of Vlora Airport remains uncertain, as the dispute between the concession partners has moved from public clashes to a series of court decisions that appear to have directly affected the project’s management.

At a press conference held today, legal representatives of Mabco Construction, the project’s main investor, said the company had been excluded from decision-making and warned of international arbitration against the government if the matter is not resolved in the domestic courts.

Court documents obtained by Citizens.al show that the courts have imposed interim measures suspending Mabco’s voting rights and decision-making activity as the majority partner in the concession company, Vlora International Airport (VIA), while separate proceedings continue over the validity of the transfer of shares between it and its partner, 2A Group.

The company today called for state intervention to clarify the situation, while its representatives left unanswered questions about the validity of the construction permit, the investigation by the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK) and the impact of the court dispute on the airport’s operating licence.

“The airport’s safety and guarantees are at risk”

At the press conference, held this morning at a private foundation’s premises in Tirana’s former Blloku district, Mabco’s legal representatives said that, despite holding 98% of the shares, they currently have no control over the project.

Adviser Ornela Çuçi said the situation has direct consequences for the investment and the safety of the project itself. According to her, VIA has invested around €120 million, the vast majority of it provided by Mabco as the main shareholder: €18 million from its own assets and the rest from loans secured against its property.

Çuçi stressed that Mabco is seeking to engage an international auditing company such as SGS, which would be able to verify and certify the work on the runway and the other works completed. Lawyer Ervin Metalla, meanwhile, described the situation as unprecedented.

“It holds 98% of the shares and has been ‘de facto’ expropriated by a court decision,” he stressed.

Korab Troplica, Mabetex’s legal director in Switzerland, endorsed lawyer Metalla’s position that the partner, 2A Group, has taken practical control of VIA and does not even give notice of shareholders’ meetings. He said Mabco might turn to arbitration, although “that is not our first choice”.

During the conference, independent journalist Artan Rama asked for the investors’ position on the role of the government and the media in the dispute. Mabco’s representatives said they wanted state intervention to ensure clarity and proper conduct in a strategic project such as VIA.

Another critical point was raised by Joni Vorpsi of Protection and Preservation of Natural Environment in Albania (PPNEA): the construction permit, whose term appears to have expired.

“The 36-month term of VIA’s construction permit has now expired. Have you received any notice from the authorities about this, and how will things proceed? Will you apply for a permit [extension], or will work continue without a permit?” Vorpsi asked.

The legal representatives described this as technical information on which they did not have precise knowledge, explaining that in the current circumstances they found it difficult to obtain information from the concession company.

“Our concern is the situation we are describing, and you are asking us [about the permit] when even our right to obtain information has been blocked. Essentially, we do not even know when they hold a meeting or when they open the door,” lawyer Metalla said.

They also said they had no knowledge of the investigation by the Special Prosecution Office (SPAK), which confirmed to the media in July 2025 that it was investigating the concession. A question from Citizens.al about whether the dispute could prevent the airport from obtaining its operating licence also received no specific answer.

Court decisions and the claim of “exclusion” from the project

At the centre of the dispute is control over VIA, the concession company established to implement the concession contract with the Ministry of Infrastructure for the construction and operation of Vlora Airport.

Court documents obtained by Citizens.al show that the dispute over control of VIA has, for months, involved successive proceedings for interim relief.

2A Group, which held only 2% of the shares, claims that in April 2025 it purchased around 47% of VIA’s shares from majority partner Mabco under a share purchase agreement.

But Mabco contests the validity of this agreement and argues that the transfer cannot have legal effect without the approval of the contracting party, in this case the Ministry of Infrastructure.

The dispute went to court in October 2025, when 2A Group sought an interim injunction suspending the shareholders’ assembly’s decision-making and Mabco’s voting rights as the majority partner. The court granted its request and suspended Mabco’s voting rights until ownership of the shares could be clarified.

According to Mabco’s legal representatives, the decision was made in chambers, without the company’s presence or notification, effectively leaving it without control of the company.

Mabco appealed the decision, arguing that “suspending the majority partner’s voting rights amounts to de facto exclusion from the company and jeopardises fulfilment of the airport concession contract.”

The Court of Appeal changed the first decision in December 2025. However, according to the documents and claims presented by Mabco, one day after the appeal ruling, on 23 December 2025, the Court of First Instance imposed another interim measure against the company.

This time, the application was made by the concession company VIA itself and 2A Group, seeking restrictions on any transfer of Mabco’s shares in the company.

Mabco’s legal representatives argue that the new measure reinstated the same effect in practice.

In a further appeal filed afterwards, Mabco argues that suspending its voting rights effectively excludes it from managing the company, even though it remains the majority shareholder, with 51% even under the changes claimed by 2A Group, and bears the project’s financial obligations.

Mabco’s claim of “expropriation” at today’s press conference relates precisely to these court decisions.

The opposing party in the proceedings, meanwhile, argues that the share transfer is valid and that the interim measures are necessary until the ownership dispute is resolved.

The case file shows that this is more than a contractual disagreement between partners: it is a blockage of the concession company’s management. The court is imposing measures on voting, administration and share transfers while the project is still under construction.

This also explains the uncertainty expressed at the conference about the airport’s operation, the construction permit and the state’s role in mediating the dispute.

* This article was reviewed and corrected on 8 October 2026.