TIRANA, March.21 – Albania has a new gateway to the world. The new passenger terminal at Tirana International Airport, in which HOCHTIEF AirPort has a 47 percent stake, was officially opened Wednesday in the presence of Prime Minister Sali Berisha and 600 invited guests. The bright and airy glazed building forms the core of a comprehensive modernization program representing an investment of around 50 million euro. This design masterpiece, prepared by Malaysian architect Hin Tan, will house eight souvenir and duty-free shops, bars, restaurants and cafes. There will be a restaurant both in departures and arrivals, while just outside the terminal a covered piazza-style bar with traditional Albanian stone façade will offer a very pleasant and relaxing view of the building and its surrounds. The new terminal building satisfies the most sophisticated of demands. Since April 2005, a private consortium, comprising HOCHTIEF AirPort, DEG Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (31.7 percent) and the Albanian-American Enterprise Fund (21.3 percent), has been operating and expanding Tirana International Airport, which serves Albania‘s capital city. |