"Korça Open Air 2025"/ The sky of Korça, the arena of free flights

2025-11-01 09:41:00, Qyteti im CNA

"Korça Open Air 2025"/ The sky of Korça, the arena of

The sky of Korça has become an arena of competitions and emotions with the development of the 14th "Korça Open Air" free flight championship, which is being held this year at the Lumalasi aerodrome.

Over 45 pilots from nine European countries have taken part in the competition for the “EXTRA Skënderbe” Trophy, turning the city into a true center of air sports and adventure tourism. For the organizers, the return of the activity to Korça is a special moment.

According to Jonathan Islam, the city has an early history in the development of outdoor sports and was among the first to bring such competitions in the early 2000s. He emphasizes that the construction of the new aerodrome and sports terminal has given a new dimension to this event, making participation easier and the competition more organized.

"Korça Open Air 2025"/ The sky of Korça, the arena of

"Korça is fantastic and personally, every time I come here, I come with the greatest pleasure. I am very happy to come to Korça both for my own pleasure, but also to organize and be a participant in the 'Korça Open Air' that is being organized in the 14th edition. Korça was once, in 2000-2001, one of the first organizers of outdoor sports and competitions of this type. It is a prestige to return to Korça again and even more so, to see the built aerodrome, the fantastic part, but also the terminal that makes our stay and participation in this pilot competition much simpler."

This year, the number of pilots and participating countries is greater than ever before, which shows the growing interest and potential that Korça has to host such international activities.

"Korça Open Air 2025"/ The sky of Korça, the arena of

"This year's participation is higher than other years, with around 45 pilots, with 9 participating countries. It is a good sign that Korça should continue and I am sure that these steps taken for outdoor sports and aeronautics will continue to increase in the future."

Another innovation of this edition is aeromodeling for children, a first step to bring the little ones closer to the world of flying, through the construction of small paper airplanes and symbolic competitions.

"Another innovation of this edition is aeromodeling, which is a very interesting discipline of aeronautical sports. We have the first steps being taken for aeromodeling, which are also the construction of those paper airplanes. The children of Korça will be participants in this new discipline that we are introducing for this competition and I am sure that in the following years it will be at a more professional level."

In this edition, the competitions are held for the first time at the Lumalasi aerodrome, a new project that has given Korça the necessary infrastructure for the development of air sports. According to Alket Islam, this is a big step forward that puts Korça on the map of European competitions, with the possibility of hosting world championships in the future. The uniqueness of this year is the presence of the best pilots in Europe, including those from Slovenia, England, Bulgaria and Kosovo, which makes the competition stronger and more competitive.

"Korça Open Air 2025"/ The sky of Korça, the arena of

"We return to Korça, to the 'Korça Open Air' in the 14th edition, at the Lumalasi aerodrome, which is a new project and I hope we will always be here, maybe with a world championship in the future. The infrastructure that has been built here for the sports and civil terminal, but also the proximity to Korça, this wonderful field, all in positivity. The special thing about this year is with the participants, they are the best in Europe. Let's not forget that the Kosovar team comes from third place in the world championship. We have the ranking of the best pilots in the world, who are from Slovenia, England and Bulgaria. It is a very strong competition, where I believe that until the last moment there will be surprises."

Another new element is the take-off with a crane, which allows for more coordinated starts and greater safety in the air, making the race more professional and dynamic.

"Korça Open Air 2025"/ The sky of Korça, the arena of

"Although Korça has the Morava mountain, which is very good for flying, we have tried to introduce a new element, the take-off with a vertical lift. The take-off with a vertical lift is very efficient as it keeps all the pilots in one place and they rise to a height that we think is suitable for everyone to compete at the moment of the angle of attack. This is the innovation, that we are no longer from the 'Morava Cross', but here at the airport and I believe that we will always be here."

"Korça Open Air 2025"/ The sky of Korça, the arena of

The 14th edition of “Korça Open Air” brings back the thrills of free flights in an atmosphere that unites sport, tourism and adrenaline. Korça is once again returning to the spotlight, not only as a city of culture and tradition, but also as a modern destination for air sports and adventure. Its skies remain open for competitions, for passion and for the true freedom of flight./ CNA