Albania Trades Blame With Airport Company for Plane Robbery

Austrian Airlines plane on Tirana International Airport on April 9, 2019. The plane was attacked by armed robbers who left the scene with millions of euros. Photo: Malton Dibra/LSA

Tirana International Airport SHPK, owned by Hong Kong-based China Everbright Limited, claimed that responsibility for responding to such major security breaches lay with the Albanian police.

The airport forms "part of the territory of Albania and by law is protected by state police", it said on Wednesday evening, adding that it considered the Interior Ministry's accusations it was to blame as "incorrect."

Media reports say the robbers drove a van on to the tarmac as the cash was about to be loaded onto the plane on Tuesday. One gang member was killed in an exchange of fire.

The company's reaction came after Prime Minister Edi Rama entered the fray on Wednesday by tweeting from Monaco, which he is visiting, that "the Chinese company failed to guarantee security".

Responding to the label that it was a "Chinese company", Tirana International Airport SHPK added: "The airport doesn't belong to the Chinese, it belongs to all Albanians."

Prime Minister Rama has faced uncomfortable questions over how such a security breach could have occurred in the international airport of a NATO member state.

Other ministers have also blamed the company.

Interior Minister Sander Lleshaj said the "security mechanism that falls under the company's responsibility failed in this case".

Minister of Defence Olta Xhacka called its conduct "irresponsible" before announcing that she had ordered military special forces to take over the security perimeter at the airport.

Starting from Thursday, officers from the Military Police and Special Force Battalion will be...