Transport in Kosovo consists of transport by land and air. After the Kosovo's independence, improvements to the road infrastructure, urban transport, rail transport and air travel have all led to a vast improvement in transportation. These upgrades have played a key role in supporting Kosovo's economy.
Air transport in Kosovo started as early as 1936 when Yugoslav flag carrier Aeroput opened scheduled flights from Belgrade to Skopje through Podujevë airfield as mid stop. [1]
There are three Airports situated in Kosovo, the Gjakova Airport in the city of Gjakova, Dumosh-Batllava Airfield in Podujevë and the only international Airport of Pristina in the capital of Kosovo, Pristina. Gjakova's Airport was built by the Kosovo Force (KFOR) following the Kosovo War, next to an existing airfield used for agricultural purposes, and was used mainly for military and humanitarian flights. The local and national government plans to offer Gjakova Airport for operation under a public-private partnership with the aim of turning it into a civilian and commercial airport. [2]
Pristina International Airport is located southwest of Pristina. It is Kosovo's only international airport, the only port of entry for air travelers to Kosovo. Handling over 2.99 million (2021 2.86 million) passengers per year on 22,000 flights. [3]
The first railway line was built under Turkish guidance for the Compagnie des Chemins de Fer Orientaux (CO), led by Maurice de Hirsch. It started in Thessaloniki, went on north to Skopje and reached Mitrovica in 1873. Before the First World War it was used by the Serbian Railways which operated as Yugoslav Railways between 1918 and 1992, and stopped their operations in Kosovo after the NATO intervention in 1999. Trainkos operates 430 km (267 mi) of railway in Kosovo, of which 333 km (207 mi) serve both freight and passenger and 97 km (60 mi) only serve freight traffic. The non-electrified network originally consisted of two lines crossing at Kosovo Polje railway station in Kosovo Polje: A main line going from Kraljevo in western Serbia via Mitrovica and Kosovo Polje to Skopje in North Macedonia, and a branch line in east-west direction from Niš in southern Serbia via Pristina railway station in the capital Pristina and Kosovo Polje with one branch leading to Peja and the other one to Prizren. Of these lines, the one from Pristina to Peja and the one from Kosovo Polje to Macedonia are still served by passenger trains. Some more parts of the network are occasionally served by freight trains, like Kosovo Polje - Obiliq; the other parts of the network are currently unused.
For years, there have been plans to extend the branch to Prizren across the border to Albania, to create a link to the network of the Hekurudha Shqiptare, with approval given by the Albanian government in 2021 to a feasibility study of a Prishtina-Durrës route to be undertaken in 2022. [4]
Around EUR 200 million has been spent between 2019 and 2023 improving the main rail connections with much of the funding coming from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB) and grants from the European Union (EU) to bring standards up to the EU's Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) quality level. [5]
The road transport in Kosovo has significantly improved following the independence of Kosovo. The government of Kosovo in recent years has focused the majority of investments on the construction of numerous motorways specifically on constructing the R6, R7 and R7.1 which connect Kosovo with its neighboring countries. [6] [7]
In recent years, two major road construction spree took place on the main state roads of Kosovo, involving the construction of new roadways, putting of contemporary signs, planting of trees, and related greening projects. Works on two highways are completed.
In 2021 there was an average of 181 cars per 1,000 people in Kosovo compared with 567 in the EU. [8]
| Motorway | District | Length | Description | Cities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Ferizaj, Pristina | 60 km (37 mi) | The R 6 (Albanian : Autostrada R 6, Serbian: Autoput R 6) is a four traffic lane motorway, spanning 60 km (37 mi). [9] The majority of the motorway is completed but still under construction. It connect the city of Pristina with the city of Skopje in North Macedonia at the border in Hani i Elezit. [10] | Ferizaj, Kosovo Polje, Lipjan, Pristina |
 | Pristina, Prizren | 129.8 km (80.7 mi) | The R 7 (Albanian : Autostrada R 7, Serbian: Autoput R 9) is a four traffic lane motorway, spanning 129.8 km (80.7 mi). The majority of the motorway is completed but still under construction. It connect the city of Pristina with the city of Durrës in Albania at the border in Vërmica. [11] | Pristina, Prizren, Suva Reka |
 | Gjilan, Pristina | 47.1 km (29.3 mi) | The R 7.1 (Albanian : Autostrada R 7.1, Serbian: Autoput R 7.1) is a four traffic lane motorway, spanning 47.1 km (29.3 mi). The motorway is currently under construction and still under planning process and will connect the east with the west from Kosovo through the cities of Gjilan, Pristina and Kamenica. | Gjilan, Kamenica, Lipjan, Pristina, |
The following is a summary of the transport system of the Republic of North Macedonia.
Kosovo Polje or Fushë Kosova, is a town and municipality located in the District of Pristina in Kosovo. According to the 2011 census, the town of Kosovo Polje has 12,919 inhabitants, while the municipality has 33,977 inhabitants.
The Llap Region is a region located in the north-eastern part of Kosovo. Llap in the broadest sense includes the watershed of the Llapi River. The Llapi water collection begins in the mountains of Kopaonik in the north and west and its source is considered to be the village of Pollatë, and ends by joining the Sitnica river in Lumadh, municipality of Vushtrri, in the north-west of Pristina. The topographic watershed of the Llapi River covers an area of 945.4 km2 (365.0 sq mi).
Prishtina International Airport Adem Jashari, also referred to as Pristina International Airport, is an international airport in Pristina, Kosovo. The airport is located 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of the city of Pristina, Kosovo. The airport has flights to numerous European destinations. The airport is the only port of entry for air travelers to Kosovo. It is named in honor Adem Jashari, the founder of the Kosovo Liberation Army.
The Vilayet of Kosovo was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkan Peninsula which included the modern-day territory of Kosovo and the north-western part of the Republic of North Macedonia. The areas today comprising Sandžak (Raška) region of Serbia and Montenegro, although de jure under Ottoman control, were de facto under Austro-Hungarian occupation from 1878 until 1909, as provided under Article 25 of the Treaty of Berlin. Üsküb (Skopje) functioned as the capital of the province and the midway point between Istanbul and its European provinces. Üsküb's population of 32,000 made it the largest city in the province, followed by Prizren, also numbering at 30,000.
Dumosh-Batllava Airfield or Batllava Airport is a former military airport in the village of Dumosh, near Batllava Lake and the village of Batllavë and the city of Podujevë in Kosovo. This airfield is located 25 km (16 mi) from the city of Pristina and 32 km (20 mi) air distance from Pristina International Airport Adem Jashari.
Trainkos is a private railway company based in Kosovo that also serves as the national rail carrier of the country. Established in 2011 alongside Infrakos, the two companies are the successors of Kosovo Railways, a public company that was split up and privatized. Trainkos offers rail service for both passengers and freight.
Pristina or Prishtina is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and district.
Tourism in Kosovo is characterized by archaeological heritage from Illyrian, Dardanian, Roman, Byzantine, Serbian and Ottoman times, traditional Albanian and Serbian cuisine, architecture, religious heritage, traditions, and natural landscapes. Kosovo is situated in south-eastern Europe. With its central position in the Balkans, it serves as a link in the connection between central and south Europe, the Adriatic Sea, and Black Sea.
Hiking in Kosovo started with establishment of the first hiking association in 1928, and it continued with creation of different association all around the territory which was then part of Yugoslavia. After the Kosovo War a lot was done also by the support of societies such as HikingNjeri, which have worked hard to not only organize activities, but also to expose hiking to the general public via social media.
Classical music in Kosovo refers to the art music cultivated in Kosovo. The roots of classical music in Kosovo are found in the 1940s and include the time period from the times when Kosovo was part of Yugoslavia to this day. It can be said that there is a tradition of classical music in Kosovo, however, compared to other Balkan countries and especially European countries this tradition is younger. Classical music in Kosovo reaches back about 70 years. Even though in a short period of time, this music has evolved, passing through generations of composers and artists. In his book Albanian: Zhvillimi i stileve në veprat e kompozitorëve shqiptarë të Kosovës, Engjëll Berisha comments:
The diversity of styles in Albanian music [of Kosovo], its national patterns with sound idea-aesthetic foundations are a characteristic of the European musical reality, so many many works are of interest abroad, too, because during this relatively short period Albanian classical music in Kosovo has compensated for the delay in its development.
Pristina's transport forms the hub of road, rail and air networks in Kosovo. The city's buses, trains and planes together all serve to maintain a high level of connectivity between Pristina many different districts and beyond. An analysis by the Traffic Police has shown that from 240,000 cars registered in Kosovo, around 100,000 cars are from the District of Pristina.
The railway network in Kosovo is operated by Trainkos, the national rail company and it consists of 333.9 km (207.5 mi) of railway line, 103.4 km (64 mi) of which are freight-only.
The Islamic Community of Kosovo, is an independent religious organization of Muslims in Kosovo and the Preševo Valley. The community's headquarters are located in Pristina and their current leader, the Grand Mufti, is Naim Tërnava.
The R 6 Motorway, also commonly Autostrada Prishtinë-Han i Elezit and Autostrada Prishtinë-Shkup or Autostrada Arbën Xhaferi, is a motorway in Kosovo running 60 kilometres (37 mi) in the districts of Ferizaj and Pristina. The motorway connects Pristina with Skopje in North Macedonia.
Kosovo during the Second World War was in a very dramatic period, because different currents clashed, bringing constant tensions within it. During World War II, the region of Kosovo was split into three occupational zones: Italian, German, and Bulgarian. Partisans from Albania and Yugoslavia led the fight for Kosovo's independence from the invader and his allies. During occupation by Axis powers, Bulgarian and Albanian collaborators killed thousands of Kosovo Serbs and Montenegrins. Tens of thousands were also expelled or were placed into concentration camps.
The 2030 Mediterranean Games, officially known as the XXI Mediterranean Games, and commonly known as Prishtina 2030, is a forthcoming international multi-sport event that is scheduled to be held from 24 July to 4 August 2030 in Pristina, Kosovo.
The Capture of Pristina was a pivotal event during the Albanian revolt of 1912, it involved the entry of Albanian rebels into the former capital of the Kosovo vilayet.
However, due to the commitment of MI, and related structures, we have achieved significant results. Proof of this are the construction of new highways, linking the Republic of Kosovo with neighbouring countries
On the other hand, the Government successfully organized and handled the State Visit of Zoran Zaev, Prime Minister of Macedonia, in which a number of mutually important questions were discussed, such as bilateral trade and the new highway between Prishtina and Skopje.
