Albania’s airport sees record traffic in 2008

TIRANA, Feb 16 – Albania’s Mother Teresa Tirana International Airport, or TIA, said last week it had a 14.6 percent passenger growth in 2008.
TIA handled 1.267 million passengers, or 14.6 percent more than a year ago, and 1,987 tons of cargo in 19,194 flights, according to a statement received Monday.
“Tirana International Airport has witnessed further sustainable growth, reflected in the figures for last year, and we are very pleased to have ended 2008 with such success. We believe that TIA not only has a history of successes, but also has a very promising future, given the amount of investment planned for 2009,” said CEO Andrea Gebbeken
Since 2005 TIA operations were taken over by a German-U.S. consortium, made up of Hochtief AirPort, DEG Deutsche Investitions und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, and the Albanian-American Enterprise Fund, that in 2007 built new passenger and cargo terminals and a 6.5-kilometer (4-mile) access road near capital Tirana.
TIA is finalizing an important investment program this year: the extension of the passenger terminal (Phase B in the Airport’s development), an investment of approximately 20 million. These projects will be completed in September 2009 and will facilitate TIA’s handling of 1.5 million passengers per year.
In 2008, the airlines carrying most passengers to and from Tirana were Belleair (36.5%), Alitalia (16%), Albanian Airlines (10.5%), Austrian Airlines (7.9%) and Turkish Airlines (6.0%). Currently, thirteen airlines fly in to and out of TIA, connecting directly the Albanian capital city with 32 destinations, including flights to Thessaloniki and Zagreb, inaugurated in the latter half of last year.
“TIA is remaining loyal to its commitment to operate a safe and secure environment and to be involved in the social development of the area,” said the statement.
Thirteen airlines connect directly to the Albanian capital Tirana, with services to 32 destinations.