Glad to hear of further investment to the airport at Rinas. It really has improved down there, and hopefully the extension will encourage further airlines to come to Albania.
Of course, my hope is that with further airlines, the prices will get cheaper. Travelling back to UK with 3 children is not the cheapest thing to do!!
In fact, this summer we are planning to leave through MonteNegro because the prices were cheaper. Living in Shkoder means that the airport at Podgorica is almost the same distance as Rinas...so it gives us this option.
It is not something we want to do...but in the end the price meant it was the most sensible thing to do. It is cheaper to fly Podgorica-Frankfurt-Birmingham-Aberdeen than Tirana-London-Aberdeen.
Less money for Albania , a few more EUROS for Montenegro.
I have e-mailed Easyjet asking them to please consider at least a flight once or twice a week to Albania. I am sure the flights would be packed!!
Here is the article on the airport extension...
EBRD funds Albania airport expansion
7 April 2008
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development will provide funds worth 46 million to Tirana airport for modernisation. The loan includes projects comprising the extension of the new passenger terminal at the Albanian capital’s Mother Teresa International Airport, TIA, constructing additional airport buildings and investments in new equipment and systems, reads a press release. Airport officials say that the extension will increase passenger traffic to 1.5 million a year, a 50 percent rise. “This project is crucially important to Albania’s economic development. The terms of the new loan send a clear and positive message about the state of development of the commercial, political and legal environment for public-private partnerships in Albania,” said Sue Barrett, EBRD Director for Transport. “Its innovative structure makes it a showcase for private-sector investment in medium-sized airport operations in the region. This is a model that could well be replicated elsewhere in south east Europe,” she added. Construction is set to start this summer and be completed by late 2009.