Ryanair adds UK routes to Albania this summer

Birmingham and Bristol gain links to Tirana

Ryanair adds UK routes to Albania this summer

Ryanair is adding routes from Birmingham and Bristol airports to Albania this summer.

A total of six new services are being introduced to Tirana by the budget carrier.

The airline plans to operate 22 routes to the Albanian capital this year, including the pair of UK links and new flights from Bari, Budapest, Marseille and Vienna.

Group chief executive Michael O’Leary was at Tirana airport to unveil the new summer services.

He said that the airline expects to carry three million passengers in its first 12 months in Tirana and it has “very exciting plans to continue to grow” in Albania.

The airline is in active negotiations with the airport over plans for Tirana to become a potential Ryanair base in 2025 or 2026.

“We are seeing a lot of growth here in the Albanian marketplace,” O’Leary said. “It’s a very exciting city, a very exciting country and it’s going to grow strongly.”