Sky Express Airlines begins return flights to Tirana

TIRANA, Oct 29 – Greek Airline Company Sky Express Airlines landed for the first time at Tirana International Airport (TIA) Tuesday becoming another carrier operating from Albania’s only international airport.
The airline has scheduled direct flights to and from Crete on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and Thessaloniki on Mondays and Fridays.
“We are very happy to welcome Sky Express and to provide them our excellent services. I am sure that the company offers quality choices to the passengers. These two scheduled routes will help the Albanians living in Greece to reach home more quickly,” said the Chief Executive Officer of TIA Andrea Gebbeken.
Sky Express will operate a BAE Jet stream 41 on the new routes, with a capacity of 30 passengers. The flight from Crete to Tirana International Airport takes 1 hour and 50 minutes, while from Thessaloniki it will take 1 hour and 20 minutes.
TIA is enlarging its passenger terminal, expanding the capacity of the Airport and at the same time guaranteeing high standards of security, service and comfort for all its customers.
The start of operations at TIA by Sky Express Airlines brings the number of airlines operating here to fourteen, and the number of destinations reached by direct flight to 35. Following a highly successful 2007, TIA expects further impressive growth this year.
Since 23 April 2005, overall responsibility for the development, operation and management of Tirana International Airport N쯫 Tereza has been in the hands of Tirana International Airport SHPK (TIA), an Albanian company under German-American ownership.
The shareholders are HOCHTIEF AirPort, DEG Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft and the Albanian-American Enterprise Fund. Backed by the shareholders’ expertise in airport management and financing, TIA has set itself the goal of expanding the Airport in 2008 and setting new standards of comfort, convenience and service. During 2007, more than EUR 50 million were invested in the Airport. The new passenger terminal started operations on 22 March 2007. A new cargo terminal and a new access road were also completed in the spring of 2007 and are now in operation.