Sarandë Airfield

The airfield ceased operations following the collapse of communism in Albania in 1991. This event triggered the disintegration of the state-run domestic air network due to severe economic turmoil, institutional collapse, and a lack of demand. Small, regional airfields like Sarandë, which were entirely dependent on the state system, became economically unviable and fell into disuse.

The site of the former Sarandë Airfield is completely abandoned and defunct. The physical runway is still visible in satellite imagery but is in a state of total disrepair, heavily weathered, and overgrown with grass and vegetation, making it unusable for any aviation activity. There are no remaining airport buildings or operational infrastructure. The land is undeveloped and is sometimes used informally by locals for agriculture, livestock grazing, or as an open space.

During Albania's communist era under Enver Hoxha (c. 1944-1991), Sarandë Airfield was a functional component of the country's limited domestic air transport network. Its primary purpose was to connect the important southern coastal city of Sarandë, a key tourist and strategic location, with the capital, Tirana. Operations were conducted by the state airline, likely utilizing small, rugged Soviet-era aircraft suitable for short runways, such as the Antonov An-2 biplane or the Yakovlev Yak-40 short-haul trijet. The airfield itself was very basic, consisting of a single asphalt runway and minimal support infrastructure, reflecting its purely utilitarian role within a closed, state-controlled system.

There are zero prospects for reopening the original Sarandë Airfield (AL-0017). The site is fundamentally unsuitable for modern commercial aviation; its runway is too short, it cannot be expanded due to surrounding terrain and development, and it does not meet contemporary safety standards. However, there is a strong and persistent interest in building a completely new, modern airport to serve Sarandë and the wider Albanian Riviera. The Albanian government and private investors have long discussed plans for a new 'South Coast Airport', with a proposed location typically cited in the Vurgu plain, near the municipality of Finiq, which offers flat terrain suitable for a full-length runway. While the Vlora International Airport project has taken precedence, the plan for a Sarandë-area airport remains a long-term strategic goal to boost tourism, though no definitive construction timeline or funding is currently in place.