According to Forbes, there is increasing speculation that Kosovo could be in line to have its own national airline in the near future.
All this is due to the recent takeover of Swiss Germania Flug, by Leyla Ibrahimi-Salahi.
On February 19, Germania Flug announced via a press release that it is now 100 per cent in Swiss hands, while Switzerland’s Handelszeitung later quoted board member Urs Pelizzoni as saying that Ibrahimi-Salahi is now the sole owner of Germania Flug.
Ms Ibrahimi-Salahi, a Swiss national who has ancestral roots in both Kosovo and Albania, is the chairwoman and CEO of Air Prishtina. Germania Flug has been operating charter flights on behalf of Air Prishtina.
While Air Prishtina does not have any of its own aircraft, it markets itself as an airline catering for traffic from Switzerland, Germany and Italy to Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania.
According to Forbes, “With deep footprints in Kosovo and Macedonia – and with Bosnia and Albania both recently launching their own national carriers – Ibrahimi-Salahi is likely weighing up whether to devote part of the Swiss fleet to a dedicated Air Prishtina operation. Local airlines bring profound benefits to countries by enabling them to open air-corridors, rather than relying on foreign companies for connectivity.”
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