The Swiss engineering and construction company MABCO Constructions has officially opposed the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy's decision to prematurely terminate the Vlora International Airport concession contract and has requested that the government initiate good-faith negotiations to resolve the dispute.

In a letter filed on August 10 with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, made public by the company itself, the Swiss company considers the termination of the contract “unfounded” and argues that a substantial part of the circumstances that have prevented the completion and commissioning of the airport cannot be attributed to the investor.

The Ministry had announced on August 3 the early termination of the contract, linking the decision, among other things, to the failure to achieve the operation date within the contractual deadline, the failure to complete the works, the failure to maintain the contract insurance in force and the non-payment of penalties. The Ministry of Interior has also considered as part of the problems the conflicts between the partners of the concession company and the loan agreement with Delphos Securities.

MABCO, which owns 98% of the quotas of VIA concession company, disputes this interpretation and claims that the delays were caused or aggravated by the actions and inactions of Albanian institutions.

According to the company, the Ministry has been aware of the situation for months and has been informed through more than 90 letters, where MABCO has requested the intervention of the Contracting Authority to restore legality, unblock the administration of the company, and create conditions for the normal continuation of the project.

In its argument, the company also refers to decision no. 338 of the Supreme Court, dated May 26, 2026. According to MABCO, this decision confirmed that the conflict between the partners of the concession company cannot be seen only as a private commercial dispute, but must also be treated in relation to the concession contract and the public interest. In this context, MABCO claims that the Infrastructure Ministry had a positive obligation to intervene when the conflict between the partners was hindering the implementation of the project.

An important part of the objection relates to access to the Vlora Airport construction site. MABCO claims that its representatives, employees, engineers and specialists have been prevented from entering the construction site and that the authorities have not taken sufficient measures to restore access.

MABCO also disputes the claim that it has not taken measures to complete the airport. The document states that the company had contracted Munich Airport International for technical services and airport expertise, financing technical products worth over Euro 1.5 million.

After the termination of this engagement in the context of the conflict, on 22 January 2026, MABCO engaged daa International, the Dublin Airport Authority, for technical services, certification, ORAT and operational preparation of the airport.

According to the company, this agreement continues to be financed, and the operator remains ready to perform the agreed functions as soon as the legal, corporate, and physical conditions for the continuation of work are ensured.

At the end of the letter, MABCO does not directly announce the initiation of an arbitration procedure. The company requests that the dispute be initially addressed through negotiations in good faith, according to the mechanism provided for in the concession contract. MABCO proposes that negotiations take place within 15 working days of receipt of the letter and, in any case, no later than August 31, 2026.