Taking Albania to New Heights

As Albania’s national airline, Air Albania has quickly established itself as both a source of pride for the country and a symbol of soft power.

Since starting operations in 2018, Air Albania has worked steadfastly to redefine the country’s aviation industry. Having forged its identity as the national carrier during the COVID-19 pandemic, repatriating around 10,000 Albanians as the crisis unfolded, the company has continued to flourish, adding an additional aircraft to its fleet in 2022 and increasing its number of flights operated.

Now focused on helping to grow Albania’s tourism industry, CEO Sinan Dilek discusses the opportunities that lie ahead for the fledgling carrier.

"In 2023, we performed 160 chartered flights to destinations like Lisbon, Porto, Bilbao, and more."

SINAN DILEK, CEO, AIR ALBANIA

Q: How is Air Albania boosting tourist numbers?

We recognized the potential of tourism in Albania, especially the south, as a summer beach destination. In 2023, Tirana International Airport welcomed 7.25m passengers, up from 2.9m when we started in 2018.

In 2023, we performed 160 chartered flights to destinations like Lisbon, Porto, Bilbao, and more. Currently, we are finalizing the same destination contracts we had previously. We are also speaking with agencies in other places, but we have already closed 260 chartered deals, and we are negotiating another 300. Next year, we hope to have at least 25% more contracted deals to carry new and returning tourists.

Q: What are your strategic priorities going forward?

Our main task is to cater to the Albanian citizens, but we will try to bring in more tourists from across Europe. However, we are also focusing on infrastructural and internal investments, especially around the next generation of Albanian pilots. We are investing in the Albanian people because it leads to a sustainable income for Albania.