The airline Turkish Airlines announced that from January 23 it will start flights from Tirana to various destinations in Turkey (Istanbul, Antalya, Nevşehir, Izmir, and Gaziantep).
This comes despite its announcement last November to sell its 49% stake in Air Albania, as well as the decision by the Albanian Civil Aviation Authority in early December to suspend Air Albania’s license, citing the airline’s non-compliance with laws and international civil aviation standards.
It is noted that Air Albania was officially established on May 16, 2018, as a public-private partnership between Albania and Turkey, with Turkish Airlines as the main shareholder (49.12%), while the remaining shares were held by the Albanian state company Albcontrol and a private Albanian company, MDN Investment. This airline, strongly promoted by the Albanian government, had very ambitious plans, both for expanding destinations in Europe—with temporary routes to Italy and the United Kingdom—and for destinations beyond Europe, including the United States.
Meanwhile, Albania and Canada recently signed a historic air transport agreement, which will allow direct flights between the two countries for the first time. The agreement opens the way for multiple airlines to operate regular flights between Canada and Albania, with up to 14 passenger flights per week and 10 cargo flights per week to each country. Additionally, the agreement provides that airlines will have access to any point within the territory of each country, making travel more convenient than in the past.
Canadian Minister of International Trade, Mr. Maninder Sidhu, emphasized the importance of the agreement, describing it as a major milestone in strengthening bilateral relations, noting that improved air connectivity will create new opportunities for tourism, enhance people-to-people ties, and help Canadian businesses access a growing market in Southeastern Europe.
(*) Information sourced from the Economic and Commercial Affairs Office in Tirana.