Albania’s capital Tirana International Airport  suffered only superficial damage from the huge explosion that levelled a nearby arms storage facility over the weekend.

The explosion, said to have destroyed hundreds of surrounding buildings and to have resulted in at least nine fatalities, occurred at around 12:10 on 15 March in the Gerdec region, which lies some 5km west of the airport.

Tirana Airport is operated by a private consortium, which includes German company Hochtief, and it opened a newly-constructed terminal less than a year ago.

But while the explosion broke sheets of glass at the entrance to the terminal, the airport operator says the damage was “minor” and adds that no injuries were suffered on the premises.

Flights were suspended for around 30min but quickly returned to normal. Tirana Airport’s operator says, however, that it has been accommodating medical aid flights from Germany, Austria, Greece, Italy and Balkan states.

“We have engaged all our resources to fully serve the extra flights coming to assist in the emergency while maintaining the normal operation of scheduled flights,” says the airport’s chief executive Andrea Gebbeken.

Source: flightglobal.com's sister premium news site Air Transport Intelligence news

 

Source: FlightGlobal.com