Kosovo airport aeronautical lighting engineer Deme Elezaj, who was suspended for whistleblowing about alleged defects in the recently extended runaway, has told BIRN’s TV show in Kosovo, Kallxo Pernime, that lighting defects pose safety risks.
Elezaj, who has worked at Adem Jashari International Airport since 2002, first noticed problems with the lighting of the runway where airplanes take off and land at the end of 2019.
“During an inspection, it was noticed that the bases of the lights were deformed, which poses a risk to operations. We immediately notified the (safety) department,” Elezaj said.
“If the lights have defects, there’s a direct risk of an air accident, and the risk is very high,” Elezaj told BIRN. “Despite addressing the issue, we did not get an answer,” he underlined.
Late in January, Elezaj was fired by LIMAK, the Turkish company that has managed the airport since 2010. Elezaj claims that he was fired for producing a report that raised concerns over the risk of planes crashing during take-offs or landings.
Elezaj’s report analysed the problems with the runway extension project, which started in 2019 and has cost around 30 million euros.
Some of the issues he covered included poor installation of lights in some parts of the runway and of secondary cables on the runway and the area where aircraft are parked.
Kosovo’s Civil Aviation Authority, AACK, inspected the runway after Elezaj’s report and confirmed the findings. Nevertheless, the AACK had certified...
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