Tirana International Airport Mother Teresa — Rinas, Albania

Named for the Catholic nun and Nobel laureate born to Albanian parents, TIA sits in the town of Rinas a short drive northwest of the capital it serves. As the country's only major international airport, it absorbed a wave of growth once Albania shed its isolationist past and opened up to European travel and investment, with passenger numbers climbing sharply through the 2010s and into the 2020s as budget carriers added routes. A public-private concession brought Western management and infrastructure investment that modernized what had been a modest Soviet-era facility into a functioning European terminal with expanded parking, retail space, and additional gates. Tourists bound for Tirana's museums, the Albanian Riviera, and the mountain towns of the interior now typically begin their trip at Rinas. The airport's growth mirrors Albania's broader opening to international tourism.