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BIRN: Rama in Israel with private jet seized by former cryptocurrency billionaire
2026-02-05 09:16:33 / POLITIKË
During the 3-day visit to Israel between January 25-27, Prime Minister Edi Rama traveled back and forth on a private jet, once owned by the founder of the FTX cryptocurrency exchange, which went bankrupt spectacularly in November 2022.
Long-haul private jets, used by the global business and political elite, are not just a means of travel. They serve as a metaphor for the gap between the rich and powerful and the rest of society, which waits patiently at the terminal to board a scheduled flight.
In Albania, once an isolated and still poor country – where only a small group of people traveled abroad for decades – the symbolism of using a private plane is stronger, especially when these trips are made by public officials like Prime Minister Edi Rama, often away from the prying eyes of the public.
The long-serving Albanian leader's last trip on a three-day state visit to Israel on the occasion of his participation in the International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism was carried out via the 'Bombardier Global 5000' aircraft, once owned by Sam Bankman Fried, an American entrepreneur convicted of fraud and money laundering.
This is not the first time that Rama has used a private jet for his official trips. For years, he has used an Airbus A319-100 in VIP configuration from the flag carrier 'Air Albania', named 'Ismail', in honor of the founder of the Albanian state, Ismail Bey Vlora.
Representatives of the majority argue that the use of a "government plane" for official trips by the prime minister is related to the "dignity" of the Albanian state and its representation in the international arena.
Rama's critics from the opposition think otherwise, emphasizing that the dignity enjoyed by a public official - whether at home or abroad - is not related to the luxury of the means of transportation used by him.
"The dignity of our country, unfortunately, is being violated more and more every day by a corrupt and irresponsible prime minister and government, which have recently also entered into geopolitical adventures for the sake of narrow political interests," said Arlind Qori, head of the Joint Movement.
When asked by BIRN, Rama linked the use of a private plane for his trip to Israel to the issue of security.
“The trip to Israel also had understandable special security elements and transportation was part of these elements,” he said, through a spokeswoman. “The expenses were not covered by the Albanian government,” Rama added, without specifying who had covered them.
The Israeli government did not respond to a request for comment from BIRN on whether it was the one that paid for the Albanian prime minister's flight to Tel Aviv.
The Albanian Association of Tour Operators and Tourist Agencies (ATOA) told BIRN that Air Albania's bankruptcy was a result of external market factors and the company's poor management.
He emphasized that many countries subsidize "flagship" airlines, ensuring uncompetitive flights to certain destinations, as they consider them important pillars of tourism development.
“While Air Albania was left to compete in a very tough market – where Wizz Air and Ryanair are present – and was forced to work in a difficult situation,” Vathi said. “The management was Anatolian, without vision and without concepts,” he added, while emphasizing that “there was a lack of vision to create a successful company.”
Otherwise, the leader of the Together Movement, Arlind Qori, blames the government for the bankruptcy of the flag carrier.
"I consider Edi Rama, at the very least, politically responsible," he said, recalling that years ago the prime minister trumpeted its establishment as a success story.
Qori was also critical of the Prime Minister's use of charter flights.
"The use of private charters is a waste of state budget spending just for the sake of the convenience of movement of a prime minister, who in principle should be the chief servant of the people, but in fact has an increasingly luxurious lifestyle, in sync with past and present autocrats around the world," he said.
“Luxury is the antithesis of democracy, which, where it flourishes, goes hand in hand with simplicity in the public appearance of high state officials and with thrift in government spending,” he added.
Xhemollari also believed that the use of private flights by the Albanian government did not honor the reputation of the prime minister.
“[Parliament Speaker Niko] Peles' justification for 'dignified representation', or the prime minister's for advertising the airline, now bankrupt, are propaganda shadows to justify the luxury of private jet travel,” he said.
"It would be dignified for a poor country like Albania if it traveled like any other citizen of this republic, on planes used by those who pay taxes in this country, and not like a drug baron or the leader of a dictatorial country," Xhemollari concluded./BIRN
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