Tirana Rinas Airport (TIA) Flights & Information

Tirana International Airport (TIA), also known as Rinas Airport or Mother Theresa Airport, is the main gateway to Albania, a country that has emerged from a troubled past to become one of Europe’s hottest tourist destinations in the matter of just a few years.

This surge in tourism shows in the airport traffic figures. In 2023 Tirana airport broke its passenger traffic record, handling 7.2 million passengers. This figure represents a five-fold increase in the span of about a decade and the expectation is that growth will continue for the foreseeable future as Tirana continues to draw the attention of some of Europe’s major airlines. This expert guide will help you experience Tirana International Airport like a pro.

Low-cost boom at TIA

While TIA is home to Albania’s very small flag carrier, Air Albania, the current growth is in great measure attributable to the arrival of low-cost airlines Wizz Air and Ryanair.

Wizz Air is currently the largest operator in the Albanian market and has even based several of its aircraft at TIA, from which it flies to dozens of destinations across Europe. Not to be outdone, Ryanair has also been steadily growing its presence at the airport and is rumored to be close to designating it as one of its bases.

I recently took advantage of the availability of flights to Tirana at relatively low prices to use the airport as a transit point on a trip to Turkey, spending 48 hours in the Albanian capital along the way. This journey allowed me to experience Tirana airport as a budget traveler and I highly recommend it.

Getting to and from TIA by bus

The best value when traveling between TIA and the Tirana city center is the bus. There is a 24-hour direct bus line that runs between the airport and the main square in the center of Tirana.

To find the bus stop you will need to exit the terminal and turn left. You then pass a number of small shops and get to a large parking lot. The bus stop is at the far end of it, about 100 yards from the terminal. Tickets are purchased directly upon boarding the bus, but only in cash (more below about the importance of cash here).

The road between the airport and the city center is pretty good and the journey takes slightly less than half an hour. The airport buses arrive and depart from Skanderbeg Square in the city, which is as central as it gets in the heart of Tirana. In my case, although I briefly considered a taxi, taking the bus was a no-brainer since my hotel in Tirana was located right next to Skanderbeg Square.

It turned out to be a good decision – the bus was pretty modern, comfortable and clean, even if the hourly frequency was not ideal. In any case, there are a couple of nice cafés inside the terminal where you can sit and wait for the next bus while sipping some coffee before heading to the city.

Getting to and from TIA by car

The alternative is to get a taxi, which can cost 4 to 5 times more than the bus. In fact, the moment you get to the arrivals hall you are likely to be approached by a number of people offering to drive you to the city. I even got approached by a local guy that offered to share a taxi and pay in euro instead of local currency.

There are licensed cab companies that all have counters at the airport, however it can get difficult to tell the legitimate operators from the ones that are not. Add to this the fact that neither Uber nor Lyft are available in Albania. There are a number of local apps, though. Still, I find the bus to be a better option.

Security and immigration lines

It took me no more than 5 minutes to go through all the checkpoints at TIA. This may be due to the fact that I was traveling off peak hours and it is possible that lines will increase if traffic continues to grow at the current rates, but for the time being the existing facilities appear to have more than enough capacity to handle the current flux of passengers quickly.

Since Albania is outside the Schengen Area, pretty much all passengers have to go through passport checks. This is generally a pretty fast and straightforward process. If you are traveling on an EU passport, the border guards will not even stamp it. Distances between nearly any points in the terminal are short since TIA has a single terminal and it is structurally very compact – you’ll never have to spend long walking.

Airport facilities and lounges

While modest in size, TIA really surpassed my expectations in terms of passenger experience.

Don’t expect fancy architectural designs here, but the terminal building is very functional and its layout gives a sensation of space with all departure gates lining a large and diaphanous 2-level hall. There is also plenty of natural light coming from a large glass wall that faces the apron. What’s more, the terminal is kept impeccably clean and tidy and the same applies to the numerous restrooms located throughout the premises.

One particularity of note is that there are no air bridges at TIA. All departure gates are at ground level and boarding and deplaning is done on foot or by bus.

There is only 1 business lounge at TIA, which is kind of expected given the fact that the bulk of passengers passing through the airport use low-cost carriers. This facility is called Skanderbeg VIP Lounge in honor of Albania's national historic hero and is decorated with traditional Albanian motifs.

The lounge is shared by all airlines that offer premium services as well as by other programs such as Priority Pass. It is also possible to purchase access independently at rates that compare favorably to those found in many other lounges across Europe.

Also worth mentioning is that there is fast internet connectivity throughout the airport accessible via free Wi-Fi that has no time limitations.

Shops, cafés and restaurants

Since TIA is a relatively small airport, the number of shops, cafés and restaurants is rather limited. Inside the terminal, there are a couple of cafeterias landside, as well as a small supermarket that is open until quite late at night (although not 24 hours). There are also a number of small shops, bars and other food establishments in the immediate surroundings of the airport, but outside of the terminal building.

Airside there are just a handful of shops, including a bookshop (which is not of much use if you don’t read Albanian), a souvenir store and one that really caught my eye – a branch of the famous British toy retailer Hamleys. Next to the latter there is also a rather large and impressive children’s playground.

The food and drink offering is much more comprehensive than the shopping one, with a choice of half a dozen places serving Albanian and international cuisine, where you can eat or drink airside before boarding your flight.

Currency exchange at TIA

One stop at TIA that is particularly important is the currency exchange counter – don’t avoid it. There is a popular expression that says that cash is king and nowhere does this appears to be more true than in Albania, where many businesses don’t accept cards or other forms of payment. ATMs can also be difficult to find.

While I usually avoid exchanging currency at airports because of the notoriously bad rates found there, the first thing I did upon arrival at TIA and right after clearing the immigration booth was to head to the currency exchange desk. There are several throughout the airport, both before baggage claim and in the arrival hall.

You will likely need cash for almost all transactions here, so I strongly recommend you do the same.