Tirana International Airport “Mother Theresa” will become Europe’s first airport with a digital entry gate.
“Soon, travelers will enter Albania without stops or passport checks. The digital gate will verify your identity using your face and link it electronically to your ticket and personal data,” the country’s Prime Minister Edi Rama said.
He highlighted that Tirana International Airport (TIA) already ranks among Europe’s first airports with digital passport control. “Now it will lead the continent with a fully digital entry gate. Digital technology allows developing countries to make leaps that were otherwise impossible,” he added.
Tirana International Airport has seen strong passenger growth in recent years, driven by Albania’s tourism boom.
After the historic record of 2024, with over 10.7 million passengers, TIA continues to expand its capacities and destinations, becoming the main air gateway not only for Albania, but also for travelers in the region.
In an interview with Monitor, TIA’s Chief Operating Officer, Piervittorio Farabbi, talks about the airport’s ambitious plans: the goal of reaching 15 million passengers per year, new investments that are expected to turn it into a regional model, as well as preparations for the launch of direct flights to the United States of America.
“We are working intensively in this direction (flights to and from the US). We have held meetings and negotiations with the main airlines operating in the North Atlantic, we have prepared the infrastructure, we have obtained the relevant permits and certifications, and we have also activated diplomatic channels. Our goal is for direct flights to the US to begin in the IATA’s summer season and then extend throughout the year,” he says.
