Albanian Civil Aviation Authority

What Albanian Civil Aviation Authority does

The Albanian Civil Aviation Authority (AAC, legally Autoriteti i Aviacionit Civil) is the national regulatory body responsible for civil aviation oversight in Albania. Established under Law No. 10 233/2010 and reorganized under Law No. 53/2022, AAC operates from its Tirana headquarters on Rr. Sulejman Delvina with approximately 63 staff organized into five EU-aligned directorates. Its mandate covers aircraft and operator certification, aerodrome licensing, drone/UAS regulation, passenger rights enforcement, and safety/security oversight, with active engagement on airport infrastructure expansion including Tirana International Airport and the planned Vlora and Kukës facilities.

AAC delivers its regulatory function through a government information portal, a dedicated drone registration system ([email protected]), a passenger rights complaint and compensation portal, and published monthly statistical bulletins. The authority licenses and supervises commercial operators including Wizz Air, Air Albania, Albawings, Blue Panorama, and Flynas, certifies aerodrome infrastructure, and implements specialized rulesets covering helicopter operations, paragliding, and Boeing 737 MAX flight restrictions. Notable proprietary components are limited to the online drone registration platform and the passenger compensation workflow rather than commercial software products.

AAC is a non-commercial government state entity funded primarily through the Albanian state budget, with supplementary revenue from licensing and certification fees billed on an annual cadence. Distribution is direct-to-regulation: services are delivered through the Tirana headquarters, a passenger rights office located on the second floor above check-in at TIA airport, and field oversight at aerodrome and operator sites. The authority maintains an active international partnership network including bilateral MoUs with Turkish, Italian, and Romanian civil aviation authorities, regional Western Balkan coordination with Kosovo, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, and multilateral relationships with EASA, ICAO, ECAC, Eurocontrol, FAA, and TSA.

Name

Albanian Civil Aviation Authority

Legal name

Autoriteti i Aviacionit Civil

Website

https://aac.gov.al

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Albanian Civil Aviation Authority (AAC) is the Albanian government regulator responsible for civil aviation safety, airline and aerodrome licensing, drone oversight, and passenger rights enforcement, headquartered in Tirana and operating under Law No. 53/2022.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Aviation Regulation

NAICS

Regulation and Administration of Transportation Programs (92612), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Airports, Flying Fields & Airport Terminal Services (4581)

akta.pro primary industry

Transportation Regulators (Aviation, Maritime, Rail, Road) (BPAIAOAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aviation Infrastructure Agencies (Public Airports, Airfield Ops, Ground Access) (BPAIALAE)

Keywords

• Civil aviation regulation
• Air transport oversight
• Passenger rights protection
• Drone regulatory framework
• Airport certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Tirana

HQ country

Albania

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Regulatory Fees: Government regulatory authority generating revenue through licensing fees, certification charges, and regulatory oversight services to airlines and aviation operators
2. Government Budget: State-funded regulatory body operating under government budget allocations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Albanian Civil Aviation Authority is the national regulatory body that oversees civil aviation in Albania, providing licensing, certification, safety oversight, and compliance enforcement for airlines, airports, and drone operators. It protects air passenger rights through complaint processing and compensation handling, and coordinates with international aviation bodies (ICAO, EASA, ECAC, Eurocontrol) to align Albanian aviation with European and global standards. Services are delivered through its headquarters in Tirana, an online portal, and a passenger rights office at Tirana International Airport.

Product overview

The Albanian Civil Aviation Authority (AAC) is a regulatory government body overseeing civil aviation in Albania. Rather than offering commercial software products, AAC provides regulatory services including drone/UAS regulation, passenger rights protection, air transport oversight, and publishes informational bulletins. The organization manages the official government portal serving as the primary interface for aviation regulatory information, transparency reporting, and public communications about Albania's civil aviation sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drone/Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Regulation Regulatory framework for operating unmanned aircraft systems (drones) in Albanian airspace, including rules, procedures, and licensing for drone operators. Includes a dedicated drone registration and permitting system managed through [email protected].
• Passenger Rights Services Information and protections for air transport passengers regarding delays, cancellations, compensation claims, and accessibility for passengers with reduced mobility. Includes a passenger rights office at Tirana International Airport (2nd floor above check-in).
• Aircraft and Air Operator Licensing & Certification Licensing and certification services for airlines, air operators, and aviation personnel operating in Albanian airspace, including aircraft registration, air operator certificates, and crew licensing.
• Aerodrome Certification and Airport Oversight Certification and oversight of airport infrastructure and operations, including aerodrome certification, infrastructure standards enforcement, and capacity monitoring for Albanian airports.
• Official Website Portal (aac.gov.al) Digital portal providing public access to regulatory information, legislation, publications, reports, news, bulletins, transparency programs, and passenger rights information for the Albanian Civil Aviation Authority.
• Monthly Bulletins Regular monthly publications containing passenger compensation data, passenger statistics, operational activities, and aviation industry news. Published on the 5th of each month.

Quantifiable outcome

• Double growth in operations and passenger numbers
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.

• Romanian Civil Aeronautical AuthoritymoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2024MoU signed between Albanian Civil Aviation Authority and Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority bringing cooperation benefits in fields of common interest leading to capacity increase, mutual benefits, and coordinated addressing of challenges.
• ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Albania welcomed ICAO Director for Europe and North Atlantic Nicolas Rallo. Discussions included Albanian government aviation strategy, airport projects, ICVM preparation, capacity building, operator performance monitoring, and passenger service quality. ICAO confirmed impressive industry development and promised future support.
• FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and TSA (Transportation Security Administration)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2024AAC hosted TSA team visit for enabling transatlantic flights. Coordination between AAC, FAA, and TSA required. Discussed Balkan Spirit project funded by Homeland Security and State Department for increasing aviation security capacities.
• EurocontrolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Cooperation on air traffic management and summer 2024 flux. Eurocontrol supporting review of airport and air traffic capacities, and optimization of operations for passenger expectations and Air Operators. Albania expressing desire to join CCPM (Continuous Capacity and Performance Monitoring) platform for automatic operational data collection.
• Albanian State Police (API/PNR Systems)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 February 2022Cooperation on implementation of API/PNR (Advanced Passenger Information/Passenger Name Record) systems in Albania. AAC providing support to Passenger Information Unit (NIP) and supporting system implementation in compliance with recently approved Albanian legislation.
• ON CLOUD NINE Project Partners (Italy-Albania-Montenegro)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2018Cross-border project funded by Interreg IPA CBC Italy-Albania-Montenegro (EUR 1,441,800 budget, 24 months). Led by Apulia Airport S.p.A with partners including Montenegro Airport, Molise Region Italy, and AAC Albania. Project aims to create new air connections between Apulia-Albania and Apulia-Montenegro through experimental routes Brindisi-Tirana and Brindisi-Podgorica.
• ECAC (European Civil Aviation Conference)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2018AAC participates in ECAC as member. 36th ECAC meeting in Strasbourg with ICAO President Fang Liu, EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky, and IATA Managing Director Alexandre de Juniac discussing aviation challenges including traffic management, security, capacity building, emissions, and cybersecurity.
• Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 March 2018Memorandum of Understanding signed between AAC Director Krislen Keri and ENAC Director Alessio Quaranta. Cooperation in aviation safety, passenger rights enforcement, drone regulations, and certification documentation. Italian AACI providing training support for Albanian staff both technically and with expertise.
• Turkish Civil Aviation AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 January 2018Cooperation agreement for expertise exchange and strengthening civil aviation collaboration. Turkey providing support for Vlora Airport construction and potential joint airline AirAlbania. Turkey offers aviation education through approximately 50 specialized institutions. Turkish Civil Aviation Authority supervises 57 airports, 33 international, 13 airlines, with 270 qualified regulatory staff.
• Regional Civil Aviation Authorities (Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2018Joint declaration signed by four Regional Executive Directors committing to continued cooperation in aviation safety aspects, exchange of experiences and training, implementation of passenger rights, safety inspections, cybersecurity strengthening, and drone regulations. Agreement to apply for EU funding projects.
• EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2017EASA IPA 3 Programme on Aviation Safety in Western Balkans and Turkey completed with closing meeting in Tirana. 170 aviation experts participated in trainings, seminars, and provided specific assistance to participating countries including Albania. Positive results in key areas of aviation safety and sustainability.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Civil Aviation Authority of Serbia: Direct peer: a neighboring Balkan civil aviation regulator with similar functions (airline/airport oversight, passenger rights, drone regulation) and a comparable Western Balkans / EU integration context.
• Civil Aviation Authority of Kosovo: Direct peer: a small-country civil aviation regulator in the Western Balkans with a comparable mandate (safety oversight, licensing, drone regulation) and signed the 2018 joint declaration with AAC; highly comparable in size, scope, and EU integration trajectory.
• Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority: Direct peer: civil aviation regulator that signed an MoU with AAC in October 2024 covering capacity, training, and coordinated oversight — similar mandate and recent bilateral engagement trajectory.
• Civil Aviation Authority of Montenegro: Direct peer: another small Western Balkan civil aviation regulator that co-signed the 2018 regional cooperation declaration with AAC and participates in joint safety, drone, and passenger rights initiatives.
• Civil Aviation Authority of the Republic of North Macedonia: Direct peer: regional civil aviation regulator co-signatory of the 2018 joint declaration, sharing comparable scope including airline oversight, drone regulation, and EU accession alignment.
• Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA): Direct peer: another small-to-mid-size EU-member civil aviation regulator with a comparable mix of airline oversight, airport certification, drone regulation, and passenger rights; useful benchmark for AAC's medium-term modernization path.

Broad incumbents

• Ente Nazionale per l'Aviazione Civile (ENAC): Broad incumbent: Italy's national civil aviation regulator and AAC's 2018 MoU partner, operating at significantly larger scale and providing training support to AAC; comparable function but far broader portfolio across Italian aviation.
• European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA): Broad incumbent: pan-European aviation safety regulator that ran the IPA 3 Programme engaging 170 aviation experts across Western Balkans including Albania; comparable safety oversight function but at supranational scope.
• SHGM (Turkish Directorate General of Civil Aviation): Broad incumbent: Turkish civil aviation regulator with 270 qualified staff supervising 57 airports and 13 airlines, signed cooperation agreement with AAC in 2018; comparable function at much greater scale, providing expertise exchange.

Others

• Eurocontrol: Adjacent: pan-European air traffic management organization supporting AAC on CCPM platform onboarding and summer 2024 capacity review; not a national regulator but a critical partner in AAC's airspace and capacity oversight.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/share/SJhud3cjugcMz3Ac
• Facebookfacebook.com/SJhud3cjugcMz3Ac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/albanian-civil-aviation-authority
• Instagraminstagram.com/autoriteti.aviacionit.civil?igsh=MTAwOXI0N3NwZjU3cg==

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Albanian Civil Aviation Authority