TIRANA, Oct 28 /ATA/ - A recently-rebuilt airfield in the southern Albanian city of Gjirokaster has hosted first six direct sports and tour flights from Italy, the Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro said as she posted images on the social media on Monday.

“A milestone achievement for the Gjirokaster airfield, which hosted direct flights from Italy for the first time, significantly reducing cost and time and turning Gjirokaster to an exclusive destination for sports and tour flights,” Tourism Minister Kumbaro said.

The old airfield has been revived and has become operational in the museum city of Gjirokaster, further expanding and diversifying the tourism offer of this UNESCO World Heritage site, as well as one of the main tourist destinations in Albania.

Making the airfield operational has an important impact on Gjirokaster’s social and economic life and it helps tourism, manufacturing business and trade in the area, as well as exchanges in various fields.

The airfield was initially put in operation in 1929 when there were scheduled domestic flights between Gjirokastër and Tirana and was mainly used for public and military purposes. Regular flights were operated between Gjirokaster and Tirana back then.

The airfield has been revived to serve as an air sport and tourism destination throughout the year. Eventually, the airfield was certified for tourist and sports events by the Albanian Aviation Authority in July of 2022.

The airfield is located about 1 km east of the city of Gjirokaster and adjacent to the national road.

The stone city is an important year-round cultural tourism destination in Albania, recording a growing number of visitors each year.

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