Turkey donates $11.9 million Airbus government plane to Albania

2025-12-25 15:39:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Turkey's national airline, Turkish Airlines, will transfer ownership of an Airbus A319?115J, a government-configured aircraft worth $11.9 million, to the Albanian government under a bilateral grant agreement, as part of efforts to strengthen diplomatic and economic ties between the two countries.

According to the agreement published in the Official Gazette on Thursday, the aircraft, registered as TC-GVC with serial number 1002 and manufactured in February 2000, remains certified for flight operations.

Turkey-Albania agreement aims to strengthen strategic partnership

The bilateral agreement states that the donation aims to strengthen the “friendly relations and close cooperation” between Turkey and Albania, initially established under the 1992 Treaty of Friendship, Good Neighborliness and Cooperation, with both sides expressing their desire to further strengthen these ties through mutual technical and defense cooperation.

The agreement reflects the joint commitment of both countries to deepen institutional partnerships in civil aviation, defense logistics and broader strategic sectors, while also serving as a symbolic gesture of Turkey's support for Albania's regional development and integration efforts, the announcement said.

The aircraft will be delivered without any financial obligation on the part of the recipient, and Turkey will cover the transfer costs.

VIP A319 variant joins Albania's fleet

The Airbus A319-115J is a customized variant of the standard A319-100 model, which is part of the A320 family, one of the world's most widely used series of single-aisle jet aircraft.

The aircraft has a maximum taxi weight of 75,900 kilograms and a basic empty weight of 44,790 kilograms.

It is powered by two CFM56-5B7/P engines, both with over 7,000 cycles remaining, and is equipped with an AS400 air show system, although no in-flight entertainment or connectivity systems are installed.

Although not a commercial classification used on public schedules, the A319-115J frequently appears in military, government or diplomatic fleets, including those of NATO member states and allied governments.

Owned by Turkey's sovereign wealth fund, Turkish Airlines operates one of the largest airline fleets globally, with a total of 515 aircraft according to the latest available data. Among them, the fleet includes six Airbus A319-100 aircraft, which are mainly used for short- to medium-haul routes and regional operations./ CNA, translated by Turkiye Today