Holidays at the end of the year bring more passengers to airports around the world, and Tirana International Airport was no exception. However, the measures taken to manage the increased number of passengers allowed the airport to successfully overcome this challenge, ensuring a smooth experience for passengers.
Despite the record number of passengers during the holiday season, Tirana International Airport successfully managed the increased traffic thanks to well-planned measures and efficient staff work, ensuring a smooth passenger experience.
At the beginning of December, Tirana International Airport reached 10 million passengers for 2024. In December alone, there were over 700.000 passengers and more than 4.500 flights, adding to the total figures for the year.
The operational success of Tirana International Airport is the result of careful planning and a commitment to continuous improvement. The airport has worked closely with airline partners, ground handling and other stakeholders to ensure that all aspects of the travel experience – from baggage handling to security checks – are managed efficiently.
Some initiatives to address increased passenger numbers included digitalization and process optimization to increase efficiency for passengers, airlines and airport staff.
Common counters for Ryanair and Wizz Air passengers have been introduced in the check-in area, which allow them to check in and hand over their luggage regardless of their destination or time of departure. For tech-savvy travelers, self-service kiosks allow for independent printing of boarding passes.
Passengers traveling with hand luggage only and pre-printed boarding passes can proceed directly to security checks without having to stop at airline counters.
For security checks, state-of-the-art scanners enable faster processing, eliminating the need for passengers to remove electronic devices from their bags. Electronic gates (eGates) have been installed at the exit gates and in the arrivals area, which allow scanning of passports for passengers from 17 eligible countries upon arrival and 12 countries upon departure. This eliminates the need for physical passport control at border police stations.
These measures, with the help of airport passenger care staff, reduced waiting times and prevented potential delays. January also started intensively, January 3 was the busiest day with 31.000 passengers in one day. This increase reflects end-of-holiday travel as people return to their homes and cities.
Tirana International Airport's ability to maintain smooth operations during high traffic periods is a direct result of Kastrati Group's significant investments in infrastructure, technology, staff expansion and training over recent years.
(Tirana International Airport)
