Rinas Mother Teresa Airport
Encyclopedia
Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza is Albania
's only international airport. It is commonly known as Rinas International Airport, as it is located 6 NM northwest of Tirana
, in the village of Rinas
. In 2001, the airport was named after Mother Teresa
. Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza was constructed in a period of two years, from 1955 to 1957.
After the fall of communism
political and social changes caused an increase in the number of airlines operating in the airport. Notably its reconstruction, started in 2005 and terminated in 2008, made possible a relevant increase in the processing capacity of the airport, which saw its number of passengers per year doubling from 2005 to 2010, when it reached 1.5M. The airport currently has a capacity to process 1.8M passengers per year and it is thought that such capacity will suffice to handle the expected increase given the visa liberalization for the citizens of Albania in the area of Schengen
, which started at the end of 2010.
. Hochtief assumed management of the airport on April 23, 2005, for a 20-year concession period.
The concession included the construction of a completely new passenger terminal and various infrastructure improvements, that included the construction of a new access road, new parking lots, and a bridge on the old airport access road. The expansion resulted in an increased number of passengers per annum, estimated in 1.5M passengers for 2009. The number of passengers effectively increased to more than 1.5M in 2010.
Shops, and boutiques in Tirana's international airport include:
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
's only international airport. It is commonly known as Rinas International Airport, as it is located 6 NM northwest of Tirana
Tirana
Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
, in the village of Rinas
Rinas
Rinas is a village in the county of Durrës, Albania, about 25 km Northwest of the capital, Tirana. It is the site of Tirana International Airport....
. In 2001, the airport was named after Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
. Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza was constructed in a period of two years, from 1955 to 1957.
After the fall of communism
Fall of communism in Albania
The Fall of communism in Albania started on December 1990 with the students demonstrations. March 1991 elections left the former Communists in power, but a general strike and urban opposition led to the formation of a coalition cabinet including non-Communists...
political and social changes caused an increase in the number of airlines operating in the airport. Notably its reconstruction, started in 2005 and terminated in 2008, made possible a relevant increase in the processing capacity of the airport, which saw its number of passengers per year doubling from 2005 to 2010, when it reached 1.5M. The airport currently has a capacity to process 1.8M passengers per year and it is thought that such capacity will suffice to handle the expected increase given the visa liberalization for the citizens of Albania in the area of Schengen
Schengen
Schengen may refer to:* Schengen Agreement, a European treaty that provided for the removal of border controls between participating countries* Schengen Area, the group of European countries that have abolished border controls between each other...
, which started at the end of 2010.
Facilities
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 AirPortHochtief AirPort
Hochtief AirPort is an airport management company headquartered in Essen. The company was founded in 1997 and is a subsidiary of the international construction service provider Hochtief Aktiengesellschaft....
. Hochtief assumed management of the airport on April 23, 2005, for a 20-year concession period.
The concession included the construction of a completely new passenger terminal and various infrastructure improvements, that included the construction of a new access road, new parking lots, and a bridge on the old airport access road. The expansion resulted in an increased number of passengers per annum, estimated in 1.5M passengers for 2009. The number of passengers effectively increased to more than 1.5M in 2010.
Number of passengers
The Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza has the following amount of passengers:| Year | Passengers | Aircraft movements |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 560,000 | ?? |
| 2004 | 650,000 | ?? |
| 2005 | 785,000 | 15,400 |
| 2006 | 906,103 | 15,856 |
| 2007 | 1,105,770 | 18,258 |
| 2008 | 1,267,041 | 19,194 |
| 2009 | 1,394,688 | 20,064 |
| 2010 | 1,536,822 | 20,768 |
Scheduled airlines
Charter airlines
The following airlines operate charter flights at Tirana International Airport (as of April 2011)Cargo airlines
Passenger commodities
Internet service through WiFi connections is available free of charge to customers of Tirana International Airport and car rentals are available to visitors next to the exit at the Arrival Area. Rinas Express operates an hourly bus shuttle between 6:00am and 6:00pm from the airport to Skanderberg Square and viceversa. The bus costs 250 lek. A taxi service is also available from ATEx shpk and costs around 2000 lek (17 EUR).Shops, and boutiques in Tirana's international airport include:
- AA&A Catering; located in arrival area/check-in hall, providing international coffee.
- ADF; a duty free shop located in the departure area.
- Adrion; providing books, newspapers, magazines, souvenirs, and located in departure area.
- Coli's; a cafe bar located in the departure area. The only place to purchase water (Tepelene) after security for consumption on the flight. Also the only place in the airport that sells decaffeinated coffee.
- Gjikondi; providing jewelry and watches located in departure area.
- Le Charm; providing handbags/bags and accessories, located in the check-in hall.
- Nino Vitali; providing many brands including Lacoste, Gant, Timberland, and Calvin Klein located in departure area.
- P.A.B.; providing Samsonite products, located in departure area.
- Piazza; a Piazza Bar & Restaurant located in arrival area.
- R & T Group, providing electronics, and Vodafone products, located in the check-in hall.
Owners
The following companies are owner of the Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza:- 47% Hochtief AirportHochtief AirPortHochtief AirPort is an airport management company headquartered in Essen. The company was founded in 1997 and is a subsidiary of the international construction service provider Hochtief Aktiengesellschaft....
- 31.7% German Investment CorporationGerman Investment CorporationDeutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft translates into German Investment Corporation. DEG is a member of KfW Bank Group , an arm of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany....
- 21.3% Albanian-American Enterprise Fund