Conflict zones: unrecognised states create headaches for aviation

摘要

International civil aviation procedures are designed to create predictability. However, they are not usually applicable for airports in territories that have declared independence but have not achieved full international recognition or membership of the United Nations (UN). Pristina International Airport Adem Jashari in Kosovo is a case in point. It was opened in 1965, when Kosovo was part of Yugoslavia. Today the territory has been recognised as an independent state by the United States and 22 out of 27 EU nations, but it is not yet a member of the UN. The airport at Pristina is managed under a 20-year concession by Limak and Aeroports de Lyon. The Turkish-French consortium plans to invest EUR100 million (USD 129 million) to expand Kosovo's only airport by 25,000 m~2.