TIRANA, July 27 – Tirana International Airport (TIA) said it had a significant rise in air traffic, according to its transport data for the first six months of 2007.
From January through June 2007, TIA handled 452,990 passengers, an increase of 22 percent compared to the figures for the first half of 2006; 3,996 Air Traffic Movements (8 percent increase); and 1,253 tons of cargo (37 percent increase).
In June alone, its most active month so far, TIA handled 88,046 passengers and recorded 782 Air Traffic Movements (as against 73,051 and 674, respectively, in the same period last year).
These record figures demonstrate the solid growth in traffic at the airport and reflect the high quality of services TIA offers, particularly since the opening of the new passenger terminal on 21 March 2007.
“All of us at TIA are very satisfied to release the successful figures for the first half of 2007 to the public, showing clearly that Albania is developing and that its people have more opportunities to travel. The traffic growth is a response of the market to our improved standards of passenger convenience, security and safety. At the same time, we are welcoming more foreign passengers at the new terminal at TIA, and putting all of our efforts into attracting new airlines,” said TIA Chief Executive Officer Constantin von Alvensleben.
The five airlines with the largest shares of the passenger volume in the first six months of 2007 were Alitalia (24%), Belleair (22%), Albanian Airlines (16%), Austrian Airlines (10%) and Turkish Airways (6%). Altogether, 15 airlines flew in and out of TIA, providing scheduled flights to 31 destinations. The destinations served most frequently between January and June 2007 were Milan, Rome, Vienna and Istanbul.
Meanwhile, this summer, Albanian Airlines and Belle Air are increasing the number of destinations to Italy and the rest of Europe, facilitating the travel plans of many Albanians, but also foreigners, coming to and from Albania.
In addition to setting records in traffic movements and passengers handled, TIA was the center of many important events during the first half of 2007. Of particular note were the arrival into the Airport of Lufthansa, the prestigious German airline, which resumed its flights to Tirana after a break of nine years, the launching of a direct route to New York by American company Trans Air and the successful handling of the arrival and departure of Air Force One carrying U.S. President George W. Bush on 10 June 2007.
TIA currently employs some 230 people, while the total number of personnel working for all companies at the Airport is around 700 people.
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 and setting new standards of comfort, convenience and service. By the end of 2007, more than 50 million euros will have been 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.
