NATO announces new roads opened in Kosovo's low air space

“This will help make apparent civil air traffic improvements towards Pristina airport and vice versa, with numerous benefits, including faster travel, smaller fuel spending and smaller environmental pollution”, says NATO's announcement.

NATO has supported the process of normalising the use of airspace on Kosovo since 1999. In 2014, with NATO's mediation, Kosovo's upper air space reopened, allowing commercial flights over Kosovo for the first time in 15 years.

And in recent years it is said the announcement, NATO through meetings for normalisation of aviation in the Balkans has facilitated formalising an agreement between KFOR and Iceland. Iceland Transport Safety Agency (ICETRA) now acts as a function of security oversight in support of KFOR Commander, who maintains the main authority for the use of airspace over Kosovo.

“Along with the contribution of the Icelandic Transport Safety Agency, technical agreements have also been signed between the Albanian Air Navigation Services provider (Albcontrol) and the Air Navigation Service provider in Pristina (ASHNA) for the creation of new direct lines to Pristina through Albania. This allows for shorter routes to airlines coming from the north, with timely benefits and fuel savings and also lower air pollution”, NATO report said.

NATO took control of Kosovo's airspace with the end of the war, which ended with coalition troops interfering. Currently KFOR Commander Franco Federic, who took office in November last year, conducted the review of all technical solutions allowing the creation of new direct roads, in low air space, between Pristina and other cities.

Nine years after NATO intervention, Kosovo declared independence in February 2008, which has been recognised by over 100 countries in the world, while continuing to be rejected by Serbia, which is engaged in a normalisation process of relations with Kosovo, since it is a condition for European integrations. / VOA