Albania’s only airport has grown from 800,000 passengers in 2005 and launched new flag carrier — Air Albania
With its majestic mountains, sparkling beaches of the Adriatic sea and an unusual abundance of concrete bunkers, Albania has remained a rather undiscovered country of unique beauty. However, over the past 14 years, the country has faced a major growth in visitor numbers.
According to the latest ANKER report, Albania’s only airport located in the capital of Tirana will handle 3.3 million passengers in 2019, which is more people than the country has inhabitants.
In comparison, in 2005 it was only 800,000 passengers. In 2014, the airport handled 1.8 million travelers and last year, it almost reached three million, representing an increase of over 60 percent in just four years.
Located close to the heel of Italy, it is no wonder that the highest number of most frequent destinations from Tirana is Italian. In 2018, more than 300,000 passengers traveled to Rome, nearly 290,000 to Milan and almost 150,000 to Milan’s second airport in Bergamo. Other popular destinations are Istanbul, Vienna, London, Verona, Bologna, Pisa, or Athens.
To support the growth, Albania has launched operation of its own flag carrier — Air Albania — which has raised the overall number of European flag carriers at Tirana to seven. The others are Aegean Airlines, Air Serbia, Alitalia, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, and Lufthansa.
New connections to boost growth in winter
The continuous increase in passenger numbers will not stop anytime soon as two airlines will add more significant connections this winter.
From 28 November, easyJet will launch operations from its base in Geneva to Tirana as well as to Milan. And from 19 December, Wizz Air will compete with Austrian Airlines with their new Tirana–Vienna service three times per week.
