China Everbright is negotiating to buy Tirana International Airport (TIA), which operates Mother Teresa airport in the Albanian capital, local media reported on April 13.
TIA had exclusive rights over international flights to and from Albania, but earlier this month, the Albanian transport ministry announced it had reached agreement with the operator to remove its exclusive rights, which paved the way for other airports to open in the country. The deal was struck after two years of negotiations.
The information was confirmed by TIA’s CEO Rolf Castro-Vasquez, business news outlet Monitor reported.
The operator of Tirana airport, also known as Rinas, was awarded a 20-year concession agreement effective from 2005, under which no other airport could be licensed for international commercial flights in Albania.
TIA is a consortium owned by Germany’s AviAlliance, DEG Deutsche Investitions-und Entwicklungsgesellschaft, a member of the KfW banking group, and the Albanian-American Enterprise Fund (AAEF).
The second airport in Albania, most probably in the northern town of Kukes, is expected to open by the end of this year.
China Everbright Limited is a financial services company active in asset management, direct investment, brokerage and investment banking in China and Hong Kong.
The European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the EIB Group, said on April 15 that it has signed guarantee agreements with 11 banks and financial intermediaries in the Western Balkans. These ... more
EIB Global, the financial arm of the European Investment Bank (EIB) for activities beyond the EU, set a new record by investing €1.2bn in the Western Balkans in 2023, the EIB said on February 9. ... ... more
Albanian banks reported profits of ALL28.5bn (€271.7bn) in 2023, according to data from the Albanian Association of Banks. All banks in the country reported a profit for the year. The most ... more