HOCHTIEF AirPort inaugurates new Tirana Airport terminal

The new passenger terminal at Tirana International Airport, in which HOCHTIEF AirPort has a 47 percent stake, was officially opened today in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. 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 EUR 50 million. 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.

The privatization, in the form of a 20-year concession, is unique in the Balkans. "It is a fine example of how even small airports can be run with great commercial success", says Dr. Reinhard Kalenda, CEO of HOCHTIEF AirPort and Chairman of Tirana International Airport SHPK. In this respect, he adds, Tirana could serve as a role model for other airports of a similar size.

In its very first year under private management, Tirana International Airport posted a positive result despite ongoing investment and thus made a notable contribution to HOCHTIEF AirPort‘s earnings. In 2006, the airport registered passenger growth of 15.5 percent, well above the European average of just under six percent.

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HOCHTIEF is one of the leading international providers of construction-related services. With more than 41,000 employees and a sales volume of EUR 13.65 billion in FY 2005, the company is represented in all the world‘s major markets. In the USA, the biggest construction market in the world, HOCHTIEF is the No. 1 general builder via its subsidiary Turner. With its Group company Leighton, HOCHTIEF is market leader in Australia. The HOCHTIEF service offering in the fields of development, construction, services, concessions and operation covers the entire value chain of real estate, facilities and infrastructure projects. Further information is available at www.hochtief.com/press.

HOCHTIEF AirPort bundles the airport management business of international construction services group HOCHTIEF. Founded in 1997, HTA participates in airport privatizations and acquires airport concessions. It currently has stakes in the airports of Athens, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Sydney and Tirana. In March 2005, together with three financial partners, the company launched the first investment partnership in the airport sector. For further information go to www.hochtief-airport.com.