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| Ryanair plane above Adriatic sea (archive) |
The entry of another low-cost operator into the country is expected to bring back affordable airfare prices. Ryanair, one of the most well-known low-cost companies, announced that it will start its operations from "Mother Teresa" International Airport in October, initially with 18 destinations, including 9 new destinations.
Ryanair is the second low-cost operator to enter the Albanian market after Wizz Air. The latter has been operating in the Albanian market for several years and initially offered quite cheap tickets, even as low as 20 euros one way.
However, this year, as Wizz Air significantly increased its market share, reaching 66% of the total, ticket prices rose considerably. Tickets under 100 euros were only available for a few destinations in Italy, while in August, prices soared up to 450 euros round trip for destinations like Spain.
But Ryanair's entry in November has brought back cheaper tickets. According to a Monitor survey, in November, when Ryanair starts its flights, they offer cheaper tickets compared to Wizz Air during the same period, signaling increased competition that may force Wizz Air to lower prices again. The price difference is lower for Italy, while for destinations like Germany, France, or England, Ryanair is much cheaper in November.
For Milan (Bergamo), on November 4-7, a round trip ticket costs 66 euros. There will be two flights per day to this destination.
Wizz Air offers tickets from Tirana to Milan (Bergamo) for 30-60 euros one way and 30-35 euros for the return on the same dates.
For Germany, Ryanair will initially fly to Dusseldorf Weeze. On November 1 and 5, a round trip ticket costs around 70 euros. Wizz Air offers more destinations to Germany, where, for example, a round trip ticket to Frankfurt on the same dates costs 130 euros, while for Hamburg, it's 150 euros.
In Paris (Beauvais), with Ryanair, the trip on November 4-7 costs around 80 euros round trip. With Wizz Air, at the same airport, the ticket is much more expensive, around 160 euros.
For London (Stansted), there are two flights per day. The outbound trip costs 33-62 euros, while the return trip costs 29-39 euros. With Wizz Air to London (Luton), also in November, the outbound trip costs 90-150 euros and the return trip costs 50 euros.
Wizz Air captures 66% of the market, "dictating" the prices.
Wizz Air, the Hungarian company that entered the Albanian market as a low-cost operator several years ago, has continuously gained market share, although it is not as cheap as before when you could often find tickets for 20 euros one way, especially to Italy.
According to data from Tirana International Airport for the January-April 2023 period, Wizz Air had 66% of the market, clearly dominating a market with a total of 17 operators. This increase in market share has allowed this operator to have influence over prices as well.
The second-largest operator in the market is Air Albania, with 8%, followed by Albawings with 7%, Lufthansa with 4%, and Austrian Airlines with 3%.