October 31 (SeeNews) - Tirana airport is planning to expand to accommodate the potential establishment of a dedicated base of Irish low-cost carrier Ryanair in the Albanian capital, the airport operator, TIA, said on Tuesday.
As tourist demand for Albania has increased in the past years, the introduction of Ryanair flights is expected to bring in approximately 1.6 million passengers in the first year of operation, TIA said in a social media post.
Ryanair’s inaugural flight from Tirana to Rome departed on Tuesday.
"TIA is delighted to collaborate with Ryanair, who will serve a total of seventeen routes to and from Albania this winter, connecting us with prominent tourism markets including Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Sweden, and the UK," the airport operator said.
"This partnership sustains over 1,000 local jobs, further contributing to the economic development of Albania," TIA said. A series of substantial investments in the expansion of the airport is planned, the company said, without elaborating.
TIA also said it has started the process of expropriations to secure the land needed for the expansion.
The carrier targets 200 weekly flights from Tirana by the end of the year, it said last week.
In June, Tirana airport expanded by adding a second floor to its passenger terminal, which now houses shopping areas, restaurants, exhibitions, and book fairs.