Esmeralda Topi
After a decade leading the Municipality of Korça, during his campaign for a third term, Sotiraq Filo recycled the promise of building the airport in Lumalas.
‘…The construction of the Airport will soon be a tangible reality that will significantly boost the development of regional tourism and adventure sports,’ Filo promised ahead of the May 14 local elections.
The promise was accompanied by a 3D video showing how the Tourist and Sports Airport in Korça would look. Several months after this commitment, Faktoje confirmed that construction work on the airport had started, but completion would take time.
Fact
The airport is being constructed in the village of Lumalas, 7.5 km from the southeastern city. Faktoje returned to Korça at the beginning of November to assess the progress of the 1.1 million euro project.
The area was still surrounded by a wire fence, and the land had been leveled. The only noticeable difference from a year ago was the administration building, which was nearly completed.
These were the only visible signs of construction in Lumalas on Friday, November 1, but they were far from the 3D image Filo presented during the campaign.
Despite this, the Municipality has once again failed to provide any updates on the project’s progress.
‘Regarding information on the progress of the works, costs, timelines, etc., you may refer to the Albanian Development Fund,’ briefly states the Municipality of Korça, once again transferring responsibility to the Albanian Development Fund, the project’s implementing body.
The airport in Lumalas is part of the ‘Dua të luaj (I want to play)’ project in Korça, valued at 1.1 million euros. The Albanian Development Fund states that work began in July of the previous year and is expected to be completed by February 2025.
‘The project implementation is nearing completion, and work is currently focused on connecting the water supply network to the existing system, connecting electricity, installing plumbing and sanitation systems, and setting up lighting,’ explains the Development Fund.
According to the Albanian Development Fund, the project aims to restore the historical aviation runway in Korça, which, due to its geographical location and climate, provides optimal conditions for air sports, ultralight aircraft flights, and freeflight, in a space designated for various air events such as festivals, competitions, and fairs.
A year ago, Alket Islami from the Aeronautics Association expressed strong interest in the development of the airport.
‘At the sporting level, there are many opportunities for air sports activities like ballooning, ultralight paragliding, aeromodeling, and more. From a tourism perspective, it will serve as a key entry point throughout the year, attracting tourists arriving on small aircraft. This airport will also be used for various national emergencies, providing a base for vehicles involved in such operations,’ Islami shared with Faktoje.
Conclusion
For the past decade, Sotiraq Filo has been leading the Municipality of Korça, and at least twice, he has repeated the same promise. The only difference from the 2019 elections is that for the 2023 local elections, Filo introduced a 3D project for the airport to the citizens.
Based on the information gathered and on-site checks, the promise made by the Mayor of Korça, Sotiraq Filo, that the airport would soon become a tangible reality, will be categorized as partially fulfilled.
*Faktoje, supported by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), is monitoring 10 municipalities in the country and verifying whether the promises made by the mayors have been fulfilled.
