Agreement signed with Israeli company to reopen the Aviation Academy in Vlora, Minister Vengu: An investment in human capital

Published: Sunday, 27 April 2025 13:18

 

The Aviation School will be reestablished in Vlora, thanks to the partnership between the state-owned company KAYO and the prestigious Israeli company Elbit Systems Ltd. The memorandum between the two companies was signed in Vlora, in the presence of Prime Minister Edi Rama, Deputy Prime Minister Belinda Balluku, Defence Minister Pirro Vengu, and the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Arben Kingji.
This collaboration will help strengthen the capacity to offer education and training programs for pilots and air traffic controllers, providing the Armed Forces with sustainable capabilities in this sector.

In his speech, Prime Minister Edi Rama stated:
"The agreement to establish this aviation academy is an exceptionally important step toward supporting both civil aviation and our Air Forces with a highly qualified human capital, suited to the times we live in. We are currently engaged in discussions on several fronts, but the core goal remains: we want to revive our defense industry and our military production sector." - the Prime Minister emphasized.

In his remarks, the Defence Minister highlighted that this agreement is a major milestone in the reestablishment of the Aviation School in Vlora, based at the Vlora Airport — a school that will train not only military pilots but also civilian pilots.

"Over the past ten years, investments in Defense in the Republic of Albania have increased tenfold, from €13 million to €138 million. Naturally, in fulfilling all our obligations as a NATO member country, Albania has invested heavily in critical military infrastructure — and not just that. As we take another ambitious step to raise the Defense Budget even higher than 2% of our Gross Domestic Product, we aim for these investments to always have a real impact on our national economy, adding genuine value to it." - the Minister stressed.

While mentioning infrastructure investments, Minister Vengu also highlighted the importance of investing in human capital:
"We need to train naval engineers, armament engineers, air traffic controllers, pilots, and so on. Throughout the entire cycle of public investment, we must focus on building a new generation of expertise — young professionals who will maintain this critical infrastructure and continue to develop it further." - he said.

Following its successful collaboration with Fincantieri for the construction of vessels at Pashaliman, KAYO is now taking on this important project with Elbit Systems — a prestigious company bringing cutting-edge technology such as advanced flight simulators and modern training equipment.
The establishment of the Aviation Academy will help lower costs, ensure sustainable and independent certification, and strengthen Albania’s national capabilities in both defense and civil aviation.