Gjirokastër Airfield | |
Iata: | N/A |
Icao: | LAGK |
Type: | Public |
Owner: | Municipality of Gjirokastër |
City-Served: | Gjirokastër |
Location: | Albania |
Elevation-F: | 666 |
Elevation-M: | 203 |
Coordinates: | 40.0879°N 20.1519°W |
Pushpin Map: | Albania |
Pushpin Label: | Gjirokastër |
Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of Gjirokastër Airport in Albania |
R1-Number: | 14/32 |
R1-Length-F: | 4,420 |
R1-Length-M: | 1,347 |
R1-Surface: | GRASS |
Image Alt: | The airport building one month prior to the official reopening in July 2022 |
Gjirokastër Airfield is an airfield located near Gjirokastër, Gjirokastër, Albania.
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.[1] The airfield is located about 1km (01miles) east of the city of Gjirokaster. The last aircraft to land was a state-owned plane dating back to February 26, 1991, when the former Albanian president Ramiz Alia was visiting Gjirokastra for the last time.[2] Several attempts have been made to revive the airfield and in 2021 6 light aircraft from North Macedonia and Kosovo landed successfully at the airfield.[3] The aim is to turn the airfield into an air sport and tourism destination throughout the year. Eventually, the airfield was certified for touristic and sportive purposes by the Civil Aviation Authority in July 2022 and it was assigned the code LAGK.[4]
In January 2024 the vice prime minister and minister of infrastructure of Albania, Ms Belinda Balluku, advised that the new airport in south Albania will be built in the existing airfield of Gjrokaster aerodrome.[5]