Tirana Airport Hits 11.6M Passengers in 2025; LCCs Hold 76% Share

Albania’s aviation market continued its expansion in 2025, with Tirana International Airport Nënë Tereza (TIA) handling a record 11.6 million passengers. According to data from Airports Council International (ACI), this represents an 8.7% increase over the previous year, a figure that significantly outpaces the European average growth of 4.5%. The growth solidifies the country's position as a key entry point for tourism in the Balkan region, driven primarily by the dominance of low-cost carriers.

While the 8.7% growth rate indicates a market stabilization following periods of explosive, double-digit expansion—including 48% growth in 2024—it underscores a maturing air travel sector. The market's structure is heavily concentrated, with two low-cost carriers, Wizz Air and Ryanair, accounting for approximately 76% of all passenger traffic. This duopoly has intensified competition, lowered fares, and made Albania an increasingly accessible destination for international visitors.

LCC Dominance and Market Share

The Albanian air travel market is defined by the strategic presence of Wizz Air and Ryanair. In 2025, Wizz Air maintained its position as the market leader with a 54% share, carrying 6.3 million passengers. Ryanair, which entered the market in late 2023, secured a substantial 22% market share in its second year of operations.

"Demand from Tirana remains particularly high for routes to Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Central and Eastern European countries, reflecting both leisure travel and visits to family and friends," said Ian Malin, Chief Commercial Officer of Wizz Air. The airline's model, he added, has been key to making air travel more affordable and supporting Albania's tourism sector.

Ryanair has signaled its intent to further expand its footprint. The airline announced plans to base a fourth B737-800 aircraft in Tirana from April 2026, a $400 million investment. This expansion will increase its network to a total of 43 routes for the summer 2026 season, creating an estimated 3,000 new jobs.

Beyond the two leaders, the Lufthansa Group (including Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SWISS, and Eurowings) held a combined market share of approximately 6.2%. Other carriers, such as Pegasus Airlines and Aegean Airlines, held shares between 2-3%, while a long tail of over 20 other airlines each accounted for less than 1% of passenger traffic.

Tourism as the Primary Growth Engine

The rapid growth in Albania's aviation sector is intrinsically linked to its emergence as a major European tourist destination. According to Instituti i Statistikave (INSTAT), the national statistics institute, a record 12.5 million foreign nationals entered Albania in 2025. Air travel has become the preferred mode of entry for a growing number of these visitors, accounting for 29% of arrivals, up from an average of 10% before 2020.

This influx has fundamentally changed the passenger demographic at TIA. In 2025, foreign travelers constituted a record 61.6% of all passengers, a significant shift from 47% in 2019. "The high number of foreign travelers speaks to the extraordinary impact that the airport and its air connections have on the tourism industry," stated Manjola Kaso, Director for Aviation Development and Marketing at TIA.

Key Markets and Route Performance

Italy remains the largest country market for TIA, accounting for 40% of all passengers in 2025. However, traffic on Italian routes grew by only 2.5%, suggesting market maturity. Milan (via Malpensa and Bergamo airports) was the single most popular destination, serving 1.02 million passengers, followed by London with 933,000 passengers.

Germany emerged as the fastest-growing major market, with passenger numbers increasing by 33% in 2025. It is now the second-largest country market for TIA, with 1.55 million passengers. The United Kingdom ranked third, with 1 million passengers and a more moderate growth rate of 5.3%.

National Carrier Collapse and Infrastructure Delays

While LCCs thrived, 2025 marked a difficult year for Albania's flag carrier. Air Albania, once the country's second-largest airline, saw its market share collapse to just 2.3%. The decline was accelerated when its 49% shareholder, Turkish Airlines, announced its intention to sell its stake in November 2025. The carrier's operational challenges culminated in December 2025 when the Autoriteti i Aviacionit Civil (AAC), the Albanian Civil Aviation Authority, suspended its operating license for non-compliance with regulatory requirements, effectively grounding the airline.

Meanwhile, efforts to expand the country's airport infrastructure have faced significant hurdles. The opening of the new Vlora International Airport (VLO), intended to support tourism in southern Albania, was delayed past its planned 2025 launch. The project is stalled by a legal dispute between the majority shareholder, Swiss-based Mabco Constructions SA, and a minority shareholder. The Vlora airport concession includes a government guarantee for revenue for its first 10 years of operation, a different model from the one used for TIA. The new target for the airport to become operational, pending certification by the AAC, is mid-2026.

Why This Matters

This data from 2025 illustrates the successful leveraging of a low-cost carrier model to fuel a national tourism boom, a strategy other Balkan nations are watching closely. However, the market's heavy reliance on two dominant carriers, the collapse of the national airline, and significant delays in critical infrastructure projects highlight the persistent challenges of managing rapid, concentrated growth in an emerging aviation market.

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