STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AND COMPETITIVE POSITIONING OF TIRANA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN THE POST-COVID BALKANS AVIATION MARKET

Abstract

This dissertation looks into how Tirana International Airport has managed its strategy and positioned itself competitively after COVID-19, within the Balkan aviation market. The study will be made to show how TIA handled a pandemic crisis and, thus, completely outpaced its regional peers in recovery based on analysis from operational data between 2019 and 2024. It highlights that the recovery of TIA was essentially dependent on a combination of proactive infrastructure investments, alliances with low-cost carriers (LCCs), and decision-making speed. The main findings indicated that TIA's swift recovery-by 2024 it had surpassed the traffic level pre-pandemic-was driven by a strong increase in services from LCCs, the enlarged capacity of the airport, and a focused incentive policy for airlines. With the quantitative regression model, it is aimed to quote the operational impact of strategic choices; it attempts to examine, in a pertinent manner, the influence of a few key operations factors like aircraft movements, LCC share, and macro-economic indicators upon passenger traffic. These funds on the theoretical part of the work, concerning airport resilience and recovery after crises, particularly regarding smaller, resource-constrained airports; they also offer practical guidance to airport management as it deals with future crises. Consequently, airports should be advised to pursue flexible strategies, diversify their airline partnerships, and invest in infrastructure that can strengthen both resilience and long-term competitiveness. Further research could be carried out qualitatively into decision-making processes, and long-term sustainability.