New Route of the Day (23 January 2026): Turkish Airlines between Istanbul IST and Tirana

Turkish Airlines inaugurated flights between Istanbul IST and Tirana on Friday 23 January. The 755-kilometre service will be maintained daily with a mix of Airbus and Boeing narrow-body aircraft. The carrier faces no direct competition on the route, although Pegasus Airlines maintains 16-weekly flights between Istanbul SAW and Tirana.

What they said

Bilal Eksi, CEO of Turkish Airlines, said: “This route aims to bolster air connectivity between Türkiye and the Balkans, offering passengers seamless access to the airline’s extensive global network. The daily flights from Istanbul will provide travellers on the Tirana route with convenient connections to a wide array of destinations across Türkiye and beyond. As the airline that flies to more countries than any other, Turkish Airlines continues to expand its reach, facilitating travel and commerce in the region. The relaunch of the Tirana flights underscores Turkish Airlines’ strategic focus on expanding its presence in key markets and enhancing passenger convenience.”

Turkish Airlines replaces Air Albania

Turkish Airlines last served Tirana in June 2019. It handed over the route to Air Albania, a new carrier it helped establish and owned a 49% stake in. However, the Albanian carrier has been dogged by financial issues and ceased operations in December 2025. As a result, Turkish Airlines has now restored flights between the two cities with its own equipment.

Tirana Airport to maintain fastest-growing title

Tirana Airport has been Europe’s fastest-growing over the past few years. According to the airport’s statistics, it handled just under 12 million passengers in 2025, which was by far its best year to date and represents the addition of over one million passengers year-on-year.

Over nine million passengers were added since 2019, with Wizz Air being responsible for most of this growth. The arrival of multiple carriers assisted the development. For example, Ryanair and SunExpress began serving the Albanian capital in 2023, followed by airBaltic, Iberia, SAS, Sky Express and Transavia (Netherlands) in 2024.

In 2026, the airport will become a new Ryanair base, with the ULCC to launch 20 new routes. The airport will also handle its first long-haul service with Air Transat to launch weekly seasonal flights from Toronto YYZ.