Ryanair will open a new three-aircraft base at Tirana Airport in April 2026, investing $300 million and supporting over 3,000 jobs, including 100 for pilots and cabin crew. The move will see the airline operate 33 routes—10 of them new to destinations such as Birmingham, Dublin, Milan, Malta, Naples, Pescara, Poznan, Trieste, Turin, and Verona—with over 450 weekly flights.
The expansion is expected to grow Ryanair’s Albanian traffic to 4 million passengers annually. Over the next five years, the carrier plans to double its Tirana-based fleet to six aircraft, boost annual traffic to 5 million, and launch 20+ additional routes—provided Albania maintains low access costs and zero aviation taxes.
Tirana Airport has invested heavily in capacity upgrades, including an extended runway, more parking stands, expanded terminal space, and digitalised passenger processing, enabling the transformation to a base within just 30 months.