TIRANA, Jan. 24, 2024 – Europe’s largest airline, low-cost Irish carrier Ryanair, is doubling down in Albania with six new direct destinations to complement its existing 16 and the announcing of plans to open a base in Tirana as early as next year.
Ryanair is set to introduce several new destinations this summer, including Bari, Birmingham, Bristol, Marseille, Vienna, and Budapest. With these additions, Ryanair’s total destinations from Tirana will reach 22.
The news came at a joint press conference on Wednesday held at Mother Teresa Airport in Tirana with Ryanair Group CEO Michael O’Leary and Tirana Airport Operations Director Piervittorio Farabbi
“The development of the airport makes Tirana an attractive place for investments by important airlines,” O’Leary said. “We have very ambitious plans, and while we are in discussions with the Kastrati Group, we want to open a Ryanair base here in Tirana, which will create more employment opportunities in the country. The new destinations we introduced today will offer more options, more choices, at the lowest prices.”
-TIA sees best year ever-
Tirana International Airport, now operated by Albania’s Kastrati Group, has seen a boom in travel in recent years, much of it due to low-cost carriers like Ryanair and its chief Hungarian competitor Wizzair, which is currently the largest carrier serving the Albanian market and has had a base in Tirana for years.
“We ended the year with 7.25 million passengers, which was more than 120 percent from last year. This year the growth will continue, and by the end of 2024, we expect around 9 million passengers,” TIA’s Farabbi said. “We are constantly expanding and, with the support of our partners, we are increasing the airport’s capacity. This year we expect increased activity and are committed to accommodating air traffic and the flow of passengers, with the hospitality that characterizes Albania.”
-Ryanair expanding at TIA after just three months presence-
Ryanair had earlier revealed a record surge in advance bookings when it announced its 17 new routes to and from Tirana, which commenced on Oct. 31, 2023.
The airline anticipates stimulating substantial traffic and tourism growth by connecting Albania to major markets, including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the UK. Offering competitive low airfares, Ryanair aims to challenge high fare airlines dominating the Albanian market and drive year-round connectivity, the company said in a statement.
The existing routes, including destinations like Brussels, Dusseldorf, London, Milan, Paris, and Rome, are expected to sustain over 1,000 local jobs in Albania.
Ryanair says plans to introduce fares starting from €15 one way, catering to over 1.6 million passengers in the first year.
The airline’s expansion is poised to provide Albanian citizens and visitors with increased travel options and lower fares throughout the year.
-Albania experiencing tourism boom-
In addition to its large diaspora needing air travel, Albania has been in the midst of an unprecedented tourism boom in recent years.
A combination of factors are behind that boom, including post-pandemic pent-up demand in Europe, relative affordability compared to other parts of southern Europe and positive word-of-mouth and media coverage from people who visited during the pandemic.
But experts say a key factor is the lowering of fees in Albania’s main airport that led to the arrival of low-cost airlines, which has made flying into the country considerably cheaper.
