Albanian Railways has announced “Hastoçi” as the winning company; it submitted a bid of approximately 81 million ALL (excluding VAT), against a budget ceiling of 91.6 million ALL.

The Rinas station will be part of Tirana–Durrës–Rinas railway line; in addition to the station building itself, the project entails various upgrades to the surrounding infrastructure. These include passenger platforms, pedestrian access points, sidewalks, parking areas and designated zones for taxis, buses and passenger transport vehicles.

Meanwhile, work on the railway line project is going ahead on multiple fronts. Contracts are currently being implemented for civil works, signaling and telecommunications systems and the construction of station buildings. Currently, the tender for the line’s electrification is underway.

According to the authorities, rail transport along the Tirana–Durrës–Rinas corridor is expected to begin at the end of 2027. This timeline does not include the approximately 4-kilometer segment associated with the restoration of the train station in Tirana.

The project to rehabilitate the Tirana–Durrës railway line and the branch to Rinas airport aims to restore passenger rail transport on one of the country’s most important corridors, connecting the capital with Durrës and the international airport.

The project entails rehabilitating existing infrastructure, constructing and renovating stations, installing modern signaling and telecommunications systems and electrifying the line.

It is considered a key investment in the modernization of Albania’s rail transport and aims to provide an alternative public transport means for travelers between Tirana, Durrës and Rinas airport.

/e.xh/a.f/p.s./

According to TIA data, the five most requested destinations were: Milan, London, Rome, Pisa and Bologna.

During this month, there were added new destinations such as Santander, Dublin, Liverpool, Billund, Bratislava and Ankara.

Tirana Airport is strengthening its position as the premier gateway, welcoming record passenger numbers.

According to statistics provided by the Airports Council International, TIA welcomed 11.6 million passengers in 2025, marking an increase of 8.7% compared to 2024.

During 2025, there were added 15 new destinations and 7 partner airlines. /a.f/r.e/p.s./

According to TIA data, the five most sought-after destinations during January were: Milan, London, Rome, Pisa and Venice.

TIA remains Albania’s main air gateway, offering more travel options to an ever-increasing number of passengers.

According to statistics provided from the Airports Council International, TIA had 11.6 million passengers in 2025, marking an increase of 8.7% compared to 2024.

In 2025, TIA expanded its network by adding 15 new destinations and 7 airline partnerships. /j.p/p.s./

According to INSTAT, during this period there traveled a total of 2,611,748 passengers, out of 2,385,329 passengers who traveled during the same period last year. This means a 9.5% increase.

28 airlines operated in the air transport, of which 27 are foreign companies and 1 is an Albanian company. 89,257 aircraft flew in Albanian airspace, of which 82.8% consist of overflights.

Air transport handled 743 tons of freight, with incoming goods accounting for 72.4% and outgoing for 27.6%. If compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, the volume of goods has marked an increase of 18.9%. /j.p/p.s./

Speaking on television, he said that next year the Airport will have six new gates and 17 check-in desks, which will significantly facilitate the movement of passengers.

Regarding new flight routes, Ethemaj said that Albania will have direct flights to Canada, with the first flight outside Europe expected in June. There will also be daily flights from Copenhagen, while there will be added lines to several cities in Sweden.

Ethemaj said that negotiations are underway to expand the flight network with Morocco, Norway, Qatar and the United States of America.

Head of Civil Aviation also took the opportunity to clarify that in cases of bad weather, there will be no flights because the safety of passengers has the priority. He added that cancellations due to weather conditions are not considered as caused by airlines and passengers are not compensated, based on the principle of force majeure.

During 2025, according to Civil Aviation data, 12 million tourists visited Albania, increasing the number of passengers at Rinas Airport and confirming the significance of expanding airlines. /e.xh/a.f/r.e/p.s./

Balluku said that, “We have already entered an advanced phase of works for the construction of the stations, which brings this project closer to its completion with contemporary conditions and according to the best standards”.

According to her, there is work underway in 8 construction sites. The new Train Station in Tirana is being built on the site where this station once stood; then, there are the stations in Kashar, in Vora, Sukth, Shkozet and the station in Durrës, which will be reconstructed.

Balluku said that the novelty of this project is the construction of the new station in Rinas according to all parameters, which will create a connection between the airport and Tirana Train Station.

“The project at the Tirana Train Station envisages a central building with underground platforms, a ground floor, which will be commercial, and the second and third floors where the offices of the Albanian Railway will be relocated. This will be a contemporary center designed by foreign architects according to the best standards,” said Balluku.

“The construction of the Tirana-Durrës-Rinas railway line will be completed next year, while the electrification and arrival of trains for the start of operations is intended to be completed in the first quarter of 2027.” /r.e/p.s./

Minister of Tourism and Environment Mirela Kumbaro gave the news appreciating that this step “will increase visitor flows by bringing us closer to our compatriots in the Diaspora”.

“Very soon, from Tirana International Airport to Birmingham, Dublin, Milan, Malta, Naples, Pescara, Poznan, Trieste, Turin and Verona, increasing visitor flows and bringing us closer to our compatriots in the Diaspora”, said Kumbaro.

Ryanair has started flights to Albania from October 31, 2023, initially with 17 destinations.

Meanwhile, the opening of the new base of the Ryanair airlines, which is expected to start operations in April 2026 at Tirana International Airport (TIA) will mark another important step in the development of air infrastructure and tourism in Albania.

The new base will have three Boeing 737-800 aircrafts, which will operate flights to 10 new destinations.

In addition to the new destinations, the Ryanair will also increase frequencies on the most popular existing routes, bringing a total network of 33 destinations in 13 different countries. /m.m/j.p/p.s./

Head of the Civil Aviation Authority Maksim Et’hemaj said in an interview that these flights are expected to start in the spring of 2026, as the runway of Rinas airport is being extended and strengthened to adapt to the technical requirements of the aircraft that will operate on this route.

“The runway is being extended. We expect the agreement with the US operator to be signed in September-October and if things go as we plan, due to the geopolitical situation, we expect that by spring of 2026 there will start the direct flights to and from Rinas airport to the United States,” Et’hemaj said.

He explained that the agreement with the US operator is expected to be signed in September-October of the current year and that the Vlora airport, which has been designed from the beginning to handle such flights, will need additional time for certification and approvals, so it is expected to start operating about 2 years later.

“It will have to be certified. So, the first will be Rinas Airport, in the spring of 2026, followed by Vlora Airport, one or two years later”, emphasized the head of the Civil Aviation Authority.

This development is part of a broader strategy for the advancement of civil aviation in the country, including the introduction of aircraft maintenance organizations, the opening of civil and military aviation schools, as well as the expansion of airport infrastructure.

Et’hemaj noted that Vlora airport offers a significant advantage for passengers and tourism, enabling faster access to the Albanian Riviera in less than an hour, thanks to recent infrastructure improvements such as the Llogara tunnel and the Rrogozhina-Vlora highway.

According to him, in recent years, competition in the Albanian aviation market has brought about ticket price reductions and an increase in the number of passengers.

“In 2018, only 6.7% of the population had access to flights, while last year this figure reached 42% and this year it is expected to increase to 47%. Forecasts show that the number of passengers will double by 2042, going from 12 million to 24 million,” he added.

The authorities aim for aviation to be a means of transport as safe and accessible as possible for all segments of society, thus helping in the country’s economic and tourist development. /j.p/p.s./

Due to this important event, the “Mother Teresa” International Airport has published an announcement in the social media today, in which it is suggested that passengers arrive at the airport three to four hours before the flight.

According to the announcement, it is also suggested to regularly check notifications from airlines, while check-in is done online and the boarding pass is kept on the phone.

“There may be additional security checks at the airport, so the cooperation of passengers is essential. Tirana International Airport remains on full alert to guarantee a safe and organized travel experience for all passengers,” the post reads.

Due to this event, there have been warnings earlier about increased security measures, road blocks and heavy traffic in Tirana and surrounding areas. /p.s./

This achievement reflects the ongoing efforts to improve infrastructure and services, as well as the increase in the number of destinations offered by the airport.

Statistics published by Tirana Airport Partners show that in March of the current year, Tirana International Airport (TIA) in Rinas reached a historic record with 751,235 passengers, marking an increase compared with the same month in 2024.

Through the Rinas airport, there were carried out a total of 4,684 flights by 18 airlines to 69 destinations in 20 countries.

The authorities have set an ambitious target of 12 million passengers for 2025, aiming for a further increase in passenger traffic and improving the airport’s position as a major gateway for Albania.

/r.e//a.f/p.s./