Opening Kosovo-Albanian airspace, NATO says it has led the process

New civilian airlines were established today throughout Albania's airspace to facilitate flights directly and from Pristina's airport. This new development is the result of efforts carried out under a NATO-led process aimed at normalising civil aviation traffic throughout the Western Balkans, NATO reports said.

According to NATO, the new <x0lines will positively influence civil aviation and provide considerable benefits, including shorter flight time, lower fuel consumption and reduction of pollution”.

“NATO has backed the process of normalising the use of airspace over Kosovo since 1999, leading consultations known as “Addressing normalisation of Balkan aviation”. Representatives of the Allied countries, air navigation authorities, national military authorities and relevant international organisations, including the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the European Aviation Security Agency and EUROCONTROL, among other things”, are said to be further on notice.

“In 2014, the upper air space over Kosovo reopened. This was made possible by the contributions offered by Hungary and the role carried out by its Air Navigation Service provider (HUNGAROCONTROL), which assumed responsibility to control flights. In recent years, through the Balkan Meetings for the Normalisation of Aviation, NATO facilitated the formalisation of a Framework Agreement between KFOR and Iceland. Iceland's Transport Security Authority (ICETRA) is now acting as a security surveillance post in support of KFOR commander, who maintains primary authority for the use of the lower air space over Kosovo, according to UN Security Council Resolution 1244 in 1999. I CETRA conducted the review of all technical solutions that enable the deployment of new direct roads, in the lower air space between Pristina and other cities”, the announcement concludes.