Editing Transport in Albania (section)

=== Air ===
{{Main|List of airports in Albania|List of airlines of Albania|l1=List of airports|l2=airlines of Albania}}

[[File:Terminal_jashte.jpg|thumb|right|210px|[[Tirana International Airport]]]]
[[File:Air Albania - A319.jpg|thumb|210px|[[Air Albania]] national flag carrier in Tirana]]

The most important and biggest international [[airport]] of the country is the [[Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza]] (TIA), in [[Tirana]], the country's capital. The total number of passengers for the country was 1,997,044 in 2015 and 2,200,449 in 2016. From January to October 2017, the airport served 2,224,833 passengers and handled 1,857 tons of goods.<ref>{{cite web |author1=INSTAT |title=Statistikat e transportit |url=http://www.instat.gov.al/media/3622/statistikat-e-transptetor-finale-2017____.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.instat.gov.al/media/3622/statistikat-e-transptetor-finale-2017____.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |website=instat.gov.al|location=Tirana|pages=1–6 |language=sq }}</ref>

In 2005, an American-German consortium was granted a 20-year concession over TIA and Albanian airspace. Despite the considerable modernization of the airport, prices are among the highest in Europe because of the monopoly over Albanian airspace, and limited carrier choices. As a result, low-cost carriers are discouraged from entering the Albanian market, while neighboring countries offer much lower prices from their primary and secondary airports.<ref>{{cite news |title=Albania among the countries with the cheapest transport. Maybe because it doesn't exist? |first=Edison |last=Kurani |url=http://www.balkaneu.com/albania-countries-cheapest-transport-doesnt-exist-2/ |newspaper=BalkanEU.com |date=8 September 2014 }}</ref>

Following a period of intensive negotiations, the Albanian government managed to reduce the concession period by 5 years until 2020, thus opening up the possibility for low-cost airlines to enter the Albanian market such as the starting of flights between Tirana and Budapest by Wizz Air in 2017. After reaching an agreement with the Albanian Government to end its monopoly on international flights from Albania, [[Hochtief AirPort]] sold the operation of TIA to [[China Everbright Limited]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://shqiptarja.com/Ekonomi/2733/--8203-aeroporti-i-rinasit-kalon-100-tek-kompania-kineze-378503.html|title=Shqiptarja.com - Aeroporti i Rinasit kalon 100% tek kompania kineze|access-date=21 February 2017|archive-date=9 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009214945/http://shqiptarja.com/Ekonomi/2733/--8203-aeroporti-i-rinasit-kalon-100-tek-kompania-kineze-378503.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Kukës Airport]] was opened in 2008, making this the second civilian airport in Albania but has  since not been operational. The airport was bought by an Albanian company and is planned to become operational by 2021 offering low cost flights catered to the Kukes diaspora in the UK and serve as a gateway to the Albanian Alps. <ref>{{Citation |date=2015-02-17 |title=Të dhëna dhe Metodologjia Analitike për Planifikimin e Agregateve: Në mbështetje të praktikave më të mira për Planifikimin e Qëndrueshëm të Agregateve |doi=10.5474/snapsee-wp4-sq|doi-access=free }}</ref>

In 2018, [[Air Albania]], the country's current flag carrier was formed by a consortium made up of Turkish Airlines, Albanian Civil Aviation Authority, and several Albanian companies with a test flight to Istanbul. As of 2019, the  airline offers service to destinations in Italy and Turkey.

In 2018, the Albanian government announced the construction of [[Vlorë International Airport]], the third civilian airport in Albania near Akerni on the Vjose-Narte Protected Area. In 2019, a new project was unveiled including the construction of a marina and agritourism area.<ref>{{cite web |title=Vlora airport, the Albanian government presents the new project |url=https://en.albanianews.it/news/albania/vlora-international-airport |website=albanianews.it |access-date=2019-12-20 |archive-date=2019-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220151258/https://en.albanianews.it/news/albania/vlora-international-airport |url-status=dead }}</ref> The construction works on the ground for the airport started in 2021, and are expected to finish by 2025.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sot.com.al/english/politike/nisin-punimet-per-aeroportin-e-vlores-balluku-zbulon-kur-do-jete-funksi-i477895|title=The works for Vlora Airport start, Balluku reveals when it will be functional: About 1000 jobs are created, we aim to reach}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Albania invites bids for Vlora airport construction project |url=https://seenews.com/news/albania-invites-bids-for-vlora-airport-construction-project-680928 |website=SEE News}}</ref>