Albanian low cost carrier Albawings will establish a base at Pristina Airport this month and progressively introduce flights to eleven destinations. This move is part of the airline’s strategy to explore alternative markets, as it contends with unprecedented competition at its home base in Tirana, where Wizz Air and Ryanair have significantly expanded their operations. As EX-YU Aviation News learns, Albawings has been granted permits to operate from Pristina to other European markets as a foreign carrier. The bulk of Albawings’ new routes will be to Germany, with one destination each in Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Sweden.
Tickets for the upcoming routes can be acquired through Albawings’ website and tour operators. Currently, availability for the majority of flights is zeroed out online, meaning they are displayed as sold out on Albawings’ website but are expected to go on sale shortly. The development comes just over two weeks after Kosovo passport holders gained the ability to travel visa-free to European Union member states, as well as Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway, for stays of up to ninety days. Visa-free travel is expected to generate significant passenger growth at Pristina Airport this year. During the first few days of 2024, some 10.000 additional passengers passed through the airport compared to the same period last year.
Albwaings boasts a fleet of three 188-seat Boeing 737-400 aircraft. It commenced operations in 2016, and has been operating from Tirana primarily to Italian cities. The carrier has been impacted by the significant competition from Wizz Air, which opened a base in Tirana in 2020, and Ryanair which late last year launched over a dozen routes to the Albanian capital. The airline was still Tirana’s second-largest airline last year based on available seat capacity, behind Wizz Air.
