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Tirana International Airport records 14.6% growth for 2008
In 2008, Tirana International Airport (TIA) served 1,267,041 passengers, recording further impressive growth at one of the best infrastructure facilities in the country. The Airport last year recorded 19,194 air traffic movements (ATMs) and handled 1,987 tons of cargo. In comparison with the previous year, passenger numbers increased by 14.6 per cent, ATMs by 5.1 per cent and cargo by 17.2 per cent.
“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 Mrs. Andrea Gebbeken, Chief Executive Officer of TIA.
TIA is finalising an important investment program this year: the extension of the passenger terminal (Phase B in the Airport’s development) is an investment of approximately EUR 20 million. These works 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.
On 17 December 2008, TIA was honoured with the receipt of an Albanian Leadership Award 2008. The company received the award in the category of Private Sector/Business for “offering a new vision for the metropolitan region of Tirana…, an important step towards changing the image of Albania in the eyes of visitors and of foreign tourists as an open, stable and dynamic country for domestic and foreign investments.” For TIA this is a reward for the past achievements and a motivation for the future at the same time.
By keeping its promises to making further improvements, 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.
