Tirana launches direct flights to Toronto

Tirana has launched its first direct flight to Toronto, opening a new air link between Albania and Canada.

Prime Minister Edi Rama attended the launch at Tirana International Airport and said the next major goal was a direct route between Albania and the United States.

He said the airport had grown sharply in less than a decade, from 22,000 flights a year in 2016 to 13.7 million passengers in 2025.

Rama said the government expects the airport to pass 100,000 flights a year by the end of the decade.

He also announced plans for digital gates that would allow Albanian citizens with biometric passports to enter the airport without traditional checks.

The new Toronto route is expected to serve travellers, businesses and Albania’s diaspora in Canada.