Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza

Tirana International Airport
Mother Teresa
Aeroporti Ndërkombëtar i Tiranës
Nënë Tereza
Summary
Airport type Public
Operator Tirana International Airport SHPK and China Everbright Limited
Serves Tirana, Albania
Location Rinas, Albania
Hub for
Focus city for
Elevation AMSL 108 ft / 33 m
Coordinates 41°24′53″N 19°43′14″E / 41.41472°N 19.72056°E / 41.41472; 19.72056Coordinates: 41°24′53″N 19°43′14″E / 41.41472°N 19.72056°E / 41.41472; 19.72056
Website Tirana Airport Official
Map
TIA
Location in Europe and Albania
TIA
TIA (Albania)
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
17/35 2,750 9,022 Asphalt
Statistics (2017)
Passengers 2,630,338[1]
Passenger change 16–17 Increase19.8%
Aircraft movements 24,336[1]
Movements change 16–17 Increase9%
Source: Albanian AIP at EUROCONTROL[2] Landings.com[3]

The Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza (Albanian: Aeroporti Ndërkombëtar i Tiranës Nënë Tereza, IATA: TIA, ICAO: LATI), often referred to as the Rinas International Airport, is the main international airport of the Republic of Albania. It serves the city of Tirana, its metropolitan area, and surrounding region in the county of Tirana.

The airport is named in honour of the Albanian Roman Catholic nun and missionary, Mother Teresa. It is located 6 nautical miles (11 kilometres; 6.9 miles) northwest of Tirana, in the municipality of Krujë, Durrës County.[4][5] It offers international connections primarily within Europe, whereas the most frequent routes are to Milan, Rome and Istanbul.

The airport will serve as the main hub for the national flag carrier Air Albania as well as Albawings. It also serves as a focus city for Adria Airways, Blue Panorama Airlines and Ernest Airlines.[6] In terms of passenger volume, it is one of the largest airports in the region and the Balkan Peninsula.

History

Early history

The airport was constructed during a period of two years, from 1955 to 1957. However, Tirana had commercial airline services before. As early as 1938, the Yugoslav carrier Aeroput introduced regular commercial flights linking Tirana with Belgrade, Serbia with a landing in Dubrovnik, Croatia.[7] With the collapse of communism in Albania in 1991 and subsequent liberalization of travel restrictions abroad for Albanians, the number of airlines operating at the airport increased rapidly.

Post-communism

The air traffic equipment and facilities of the airport have been heavily modernised, following investments by Tirana International Airport SHPK, a consortium led by Hochtief AirPort. Hochtief assumed management of the airport on 23 April 2005, for a 20-year concession period.[8]

The concession included the construction of a completely new passenger terminal and various infrastructure improvements, among them the construction of a new access road, new parking lots, and a bridge over the old airport access road.[9] The expansion resulted in an increased number of passengers per annum, estimated at 1.5 million passengers for 2009.[10][11] The number of passengers effectively increased to more than 1.5 million in 2010.[12]

The Terminal building and its second expansion, the Cargo building, its landscaping and carpark canopies was designed by Malaysian architect Hin Tan of Hintan.[13]

In December 2016, the Airport announced that it has served 2 million passengers during 2016, reaching its second milestone.[14]

Ownership

As of 2017, China Everbright Limited is the sole owner of Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza. After reaching an agreement with the Albanian Government to end its monopoly on international flights from Albania, Hochtief AirPort sold the operating of Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza to China Everbright Limited,[15] a company specializing in asset management, direct investment, brokerage and investment banking.[16] China Everbright Limited has the right to operate Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza until 2027.

Airlines and destinations

AirlinesDestinations
Adria Airways Frankfurt, Ljubljana, Munich
Aegean Airlines Athens
Air Alanna Seasonal charter: Kiev–Zhuliany[17]
Air Serbia Belgrade
Albawings Ancona (ends 27 October 2018), Bari, Florence, Perugia, Pisa, Rimini, Venice
Seasonal charter: Tel−Aviv-Ben Gurion[18]
Alitalia Rome–Fiumicino
Austrian Airlines Vienna
Belavia Seasonal charter: Minsk
Blu-express Ancona (begins 28 October 2018), Bergamo, Bologna, Genoa, Milan–Malpensa, Rome–Fiumicino, Turin, Verona
BRA Braathens Regional Airlines Seasonal charter: Copenhagen[19]
Bravo Airways Seasonal charter: Kiev–Zhuliany
British Airways London–Gatwick
Corendon Airlines Seasonal charter: Antalya
Edelweiss Air Seasonal: Zürich (begins 1 April 2019)[20]
Enter Air Seasonal charter: Gdańsk, Katowice, London−Gatwick, Poznań, Prague, Warsaw-Chopin, Wrocław
Ernest Airlines Bergamo, Bologna, Milan–Malpensa, Pisa, Venice, Verona[21]
Seasonal: Cuneo
Eurowings Seasonal: Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart
Freebird Airlines Seasonal charter: Antalya
Israir Seasonal charter: Tel−Aviv-Ben Gurion[22]
Jet Time Seasonal charter: Helsinki
Lufthansa Frankfurt
Norwegian Air Shuttle Seasonal: Oslo–Gardermoen
Pegasus Airlines Istanbul–Sabiha Gökçen
Seasonal charter: Antalya
Ryanair Sun Seasonal charter: Katowice, Warsaw-Chopin
Scandinavian Airlines Seasonal charter: Gothenburg[19]
SkyUp Seasonal charter: Kiev–Zhuliany[23]
Small Planet Airlines Seasonal charter: London–Gatwick, Oslo–Gardermoen,[24] Stockholm–Arlanda[25]
Small Planet Airlines (Poland) Seasonal charter: Katowice, Warsaw-Chopin
SmartWings Seasonal: Prague[26]
SunExpress Seasonal charter: Antalya
Transavia Amsterdam
Transavia France Seasonal: Paris–Orly
Travel Service Hungary Seasonal charter: Budapest[27]
Travel Service Polska Seasonal charter: Gdańsk, Katowice, Rzeszów, Warsaw-Chopin
Travel Service Slovakia Seasonal charter: Bratislava, Košice
TUI fly Belgium Brussels[28]
Turkish Airlines Istanbul–Atatürk
Seasonal charter: Antalya
Volotea Seasonal: Verona
Wizz Air Budapest, Dortmund (begins 30 October 2018),[29] London–Luton

Statistics

Old picture of the Airport in 1978
Terminal interior
Alitalia Airbus A320 in Tirana
Adria Airways Airbus A319 in Tirana

Traffic

Passenger, aircraft operations and cargo statistics at Nënë Tereza Airport
Year Passenger Change Aircraft Operations Change Cargo
(metric tons)		 Change
2005785,000Increase20.77%15,400N.A.N.A.N.A.
2006906,103Increase15.43%15,856Increase 2.96%2,435N.A.
20071,105,770Increase22.04%18,258Increase15.15%3,832Increase57.37%
20081,267,041Increase14.58%19,194Increase 5.13%2,497Decrease34.84%
20091,394,688Increase10.07%20,064Increase 4.53%2,265Decrease 9.29%
20101,536,822Increase10.19%20,768Increase 3.51%2,355Increase 3.97%
20111,817,073Increase18.24%22,988Increase10.69%2,656Increase12.78%
20121,665,331Decrease 8.35%20,528Decrease10.70%1,875Decrease29.41%
20131,757,342Increase 5.53%19,942Decrease 2.85%2,164Increase15.41%
20141,810,305Increase 3.02%17,928Decrease 3.02%2,324Increase13.53%
20151,997,044Increase 10.3%20,876Increase 16.4%2,229Decrease4.1%[5]
20162,195,100Increase 11.3%22,352Increase 7.1%2,200Decrease1%[30]
20172,630,338Increase 19.8%24,336Increase 9%2,266Increase3%[1]
2018 (01.01 - 31.08)1,992,530Increase 14.4%17,412Increase 9.0%1,421Decrease 3.9%[31]

Busiest Routes

Most frequent routes at Tirana Airport
Rank Destination Airport(s) Number of Passengers 2017[32] Top carriers
1 Italy Milan MXP, BGY 390.735 Blue Panorama Airlines, Ernest Airlines
2 Italy Rome FCO 323.322 Alitalia, Blue Panorama Airlines
3 Turkey Istanbul IST, SAW 235.286 Pegasus Airlines, Turkish Airlines
4 Austria Vienna VIE 174.363 Austrian Airlines
5 Italy Pisa PSA 123.005 Albawings, Ernest Airlines
6 Italy Verona VRN 118.646 Blue Panorama Airlines, Ernest Airlines, Volotea
7 Italy Bologna BLQ 116.158 Blue Panorama Airlines, Ernest Airlines
8 United Kingdom London LGW, STN 96.865 British Airways, Small Planet Airlines
9 Germany Frankfurt FRA 90.286 Adria Airways, Lufthansa
10 Greece Athens ATH 84.860 Aegean Airlines

Ground transportation

Taxi rank at the airport
SH60 linking Tirana Airport with SH2 Tirana-Durrës Highway

Car

The airport is linked with motorway SH60 (10 km away) to SH2 Durres -Tirana access road. Taxis and car rental facilities are available at the airport. Taxis are available at the airport. The journey from Tirana to the airport takes 20–25 minutes, depending on traffic. Many taxi companies offer a flat rate for to/from Airport trips (the rate is usually 1,500 ALL.)

Bus

Rinas Express airport bus, located outside Arrivals terminal, leaves on the hour every hour (8am to 7pm), to the city centre, and the trip takes around 25 to 30 minutes. Rinas Express operates 12 hours (6 am to 6 pm) as an hourly bus service between the Airport and the National Museum in the centre of Tirana. The single fare is 250 Albanian Lek. From Durres the rate for a single fare is 480 Albanian Lek.

Incidents and accidents

  • October 3, 2006: Turkish Airlines Flight 1476, flying from Tirana to Istanbul, was hijacked by Hakan Ekinci in Greek airspace. The aircraft, with 107 passengers and six crew on board, transmitted two coded hijack signals which were picked up by the Greek air force; the flight was intercepted by military aircraft and landed safely at Brindisi, Italy.
  • June 30, 2016: Three armed and masked people entered the cargo terminal, where they stole a huge amount of money that was to be transported abroad on airplanes. The amount of cash could have been up to 3 million euros. The incident caused national security concerns.[33][34]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 http://www.instat.gov.al/media/3745/statistikat-e-transportit-dhjetor-2017.pdf
  2. ↑ "EAD Basic - Error Page". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  3. ↑ Airport record for Nënë Tereza/Rinas International Airport at Landings.com. Retrieved 1 August 2013
  4. ↑ Wragg, David (November 2009). The World's Top 500 Airports (2nd ed.). Sparkford, Yeovil, Somerset BA22 7JJ, UK: Haynes Holdings. p. 13. ISBN 978 184425 632 7.
  5. 1 2 "Facts and Figures about Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza - Tirana International Airport".
  6. ↑ "Local-based carrier Albawings continues to grow successfully in the market - Tirana International Airport". Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  7. ↑ "DRUSTVO ZA VAZDUSNI SAOBRACAJ A D – AEROPUT (1927-1948)". europeanairlines.no. Retrieved 17 June 2010. In addition a new air service (No.2008) to Kingdom of Yugoslavia's small narbour Albania was opened. From August Aeroput flew from Beograd with a landing at Ragusa to Tirana, the capital of Albania.
  8. ↑ "HOCHTIEF AirPort Signs Concession Agreement for Tirana Airport". hochtief.com. Retrieved 15 October 2004. The agreement, signed today in the presence of the Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano in Tirana, seals the airport takeover in the context of a BOOT (Build Own Operate Transfer) concession with a duration of 20 years.
  9. ↑ "HOCHTIEF AirPort Signs Concession Agreement for Tirana Airport". hochtief.com. Retrieved 15 October 2004. Construction work for a new terminal is to commence right from the first year of operation.
  10. ↑ "Tirana International Airport". Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  11. ↑ Tirana International Airport, Albania Archived 23 April 2011 at the Wayback Machine. – HOCHTIEF.
  12. ↑ "Facts and Figures about Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza". tirana-airport.com. Traffic Results: 2010 Passengers - 1,536,822
  13. ↑ "TIRANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT" (PDF). tirana-airport.com. p. 9. The tall, bright and spacious building, designed by the renowned Malaysian architect Hin Tan, is a symbol of Albania's new self-confidence.
  14. ↑ "Tirana International Airport reaches two millionth passenger milestone". ata.gov.al. Retrieved 3 December 2016. Tirana International Airport (TIA) announced on Friday the achievement of two major passenger traffic milestones in welcoming its two millionth passenger and recording the largest ever number of customers served at the airport.
  15. ↑ "Shqiptarja.com - Aeroporti i Rinasit kalon 100% tek kompania kineze". Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  16. ↑ "irasia.com - China Everbright Limited". Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  17. ↑ https://chartershop.com.ua/index.php/charternye-rejsy-v-albaniju/charternye-rejsy-v-tiranu.html
  18. ↑ http://www.tirana-airport.com/d/7/46/156/tirana-international-airport-welcomes-first-israeli-tourists-on-board-albawings/
  19. 1 2 http://www.aac.gov.al/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Buletini-AAC-Maj-2018.pdf
  20. ↑ https://invest-in-albania.org/edelweiss-launch-zurich-tirana-direct-flights-april-2019/
  21. ↑ "Book A Flight - Ernest Airlines".
  22. ↑ Liu, Jim (11 May 2018). "Israir adds Tirana charter from late-June 2018". Routesonline. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  23. ↑ http://www.tirana-airport.com/d/7/46/157/sky-up-the-ukraine-charter-lands-at-tirana-international-airport/
  24. ↑ https://www.apollo.no/fly-og-hotell?searchProductCategoryCodes=FlightAndHotel&departureAirportCode=OSL&departureDate=2018-05-12&durationGroupCode=7&bookingEngineCountryCode=AL&paxAges=18,18&arrivalAirportCode=TIA&flightPackageCode=OSLTIA61%23OSL%232018-05-12%237%23OSLTIA61"
  25. ↑ "Sverige får nytt direktflyg till Albanien". 14 September 2017.
  26. ↑ "Tirana International Airport Emergency Plan Exercise - Tirana International Airport". www.tirana-airport.com.
  27. ↑ https://www.routesonline.com/news/38/airlineroute/277873/travel-service-hungary-schedules-new-charter-routes-in-s18/
  28. ↑ "Jetairfly Flight Plan". Jetairfly.
  29. ↑ https://wizzair.com/en-gb/information-and-services/about-us/news/2018/08/06/wizzaroundeurope#/
  30. ↑ http://www.tirana-airport.com/l/7/53/company-information/facts-figures/
  31. ↑ http://www.instat.gov.al/media/4776/statistikat-e-transportit-gusht-2018.pdf
  32. ↑ "Market Statistics - Tirana International Airport". 23 February 2018.
  33. ↑ Times, Tirana (30 June 2016). "Spectacular airport robbery raises national security concerns". Retrieved 21 February 2017.
  34. ↑ "Huge amount of money stolen at the Tirana Airport". Retrieved 21 February 2017.

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