Albanian low-cost carrier Albawings is set to open a base at Pristina Airport in Kosovo and launch eleven new routes, including one to Brussels, from the last week of January. The move is part of the airline’s strategy to diversify its operations amid increased competition at its home base in Tirana, Albania.
Albawings has secured permits to operate from Pristina to various European destinations as a foreign carrier. The new routes will connect Pristina to six airports in Germany (Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt Hahn, Munich, Paderborn, Stuttgart), with additional destinations in Belgium (Brussels), Italy (Verona), France/Switzerland (Basel-Mulhouse), Luxembourg, and Sweden (Malmö). All destinations will be served twice-weekly with 186-seat Boeing 737-400 aircraft, except Dusseldorf, Munich and Stuttgart thrice-weekly.
This expansion aligns with the recent visa-free travel privileges for Kosovo passport holders to European Union member states, Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway, expected to boost passenger growth at Pristina Airport.
Albawings, which started operations in 2016, currently operates primarily from Tirana to Italian cities but faces stiff competition from Wizz Air and Ryanair in its home market. The airline’s fleet comprises three Boeing 737-400s, and it remains the second-largest carrier at Tirana Airport based on available seat capacity, trailing Wizz Air.