Rinas Airport Charges May Be Reduced

TIRANA. July 9

The Albanian government may forcibly reduce the fees of Tirana International Airport if it is noticed that the private concretionary faces claim that it is abusing its monopoly power to make abusive earnings. Minister of Finance and Economy Arben Ahmetaj said this during the presentation of the key economic developments for the first half of the year.
“I trust that we are in an official process to scrutinize the economic balance and imbalance in the concessionary contract of Mother Teresa Airport. Soon we will have the first results to share with the public,” Minister of Finance and Economy Arben Ahmetaj said.
During the past year, TIA grossed over Euro 50 million from the airport fees, thus reaching a net profit rate of 38%.
“There’s a logic in the concessionary contract related to the return of investment and capital. It is directly related to the airport fees that have an effect on the airfares.
Albanians pay the highest prices for flights compared to the other countries of the region. According to the experts of the sector, the reason why Albanians pay so much to fly is related to the hefty airport fees related to the concessionary monopoly.
In the meantime, official data confirm that despite the increased number of passengers arrivals, TIA cannot compete with other airports of the region like Podgorica and Skopje.

News Source: TCh