Irish budget carrier Ryanair marked its first anniversary in Tirana, Albania, with impressive growth figures and a bold outlook for the future. The airline, which launched operations in the Albanian capital in October 2023, announced a +25% increase in traffic for its Winter ’24 schedule compared to the previous year, with 22 routes in operation, including six new additions to Bari, Bristol, Budapest, Lamezia, Naples, and Vienna.
Jason McGuinness, Ryanair’s Chief Commercial Officer, emphasized the importance of lower access costs in driving further growth. “While Ryanair is committed to offering low-fare connectivity to Albania, the key to unlocking accelerated traffic and tourism growth is lower access costs,” McGuinness said. “We’ve seen this with our recent expansion in Sweden, where the abolition of aviation taxes led to the addition of two based aircraft for Summer ’25. We are optimistic about working with our Albanian partners to foster similar growth here.”
In just 12 months, Ryanair has become the fastest-growing airline in Albania, carrying 3 million passengers and supporting over 1,900 jobs. The airline’s rapid expansion has made a significant impact on Tirana’s aviation sector, with the potential for even more growth on the horizon.
Ryanair has outlined an ambitious roadmap for the next five years, with the possibility of basing up to 15 aircraft at Tirana Airport—representing a $1.5 billion investment. This move could see Ryanair serve more than 5 million passengers annually and offer up to 50 routes, contingent on the reduction of access costs to maintain its competitive low-fare model.
Image Credit: Tirana International Airport
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