TIRANA, April 8 /ATA/- The Albania’s Minister of Infrastructure and Energy, Belinda Balluku on Thursday said that “essential” flights have resumed at the country’s only international airport following a strike by air traffic controllers.
Belinda Balluku said that essential flights — humanitarian, emergency, health, diplomatic, state and military — have resumed, while commercial flights will start Friday morning.
The minister did not say whether air traffic controllers have resumed work or officials have hired foreign ones to replace them.
During a press conference at the “Mother Teresa” International Airport, the Minister Balluku informed that commercial flights will start tomorrow morning.
“We managed through great effort to save the amount of contracted COVID-19 vaccines that should have arrived yesterday which were blocked due to the illegal strike by air traffic controllers. Vaccine doses will arrive today at about 15:00 and we will continue with the distribution according to the plan,” Minister Balluku said.
“We are working to reach a solution to this big problem, which according to our plans flights will resume tomorrow in Rinas involving airline passengers, commercial and charter flights,” Minister Balluku said.
Minister Balluku considered decision of air traffic controllers to declare incapacity for work after the stress caused by pay dispute an illegal strike.
Albania’s government on Wednesday sent troops and police to clear striking controllers out of the flight control tower and their offices. //a.i/
