British Airways and Tirana International Airport mark 20 years of partnership with flights to London

• British Airways celebrates two decades of connecting Tirana and London.
• This route has strengthened tourism, business, and cultural ties between Albania and the United Kingdom since 2006.
• The airline is increasing frequency by 75% to 13 flights per week and introducing a new early morning departure from Tirana, improving opportunities for business and new destinations.

April 8, 2026 – British Airways marks 20 years of flights between Tirana International Airport and London, celebrating two decades of connectivity between Albania, the United Kingdom, and the airline’s global network.

Since launching flights in 2006, British Airways has played an important role in strengthening ties between Albania and the United Kingdom. Over the past two decades, the London–Tirana route has helped connect families, friends, and communities, while also supporting the growth of economic links and business travel between the two countries.

From the end of March 2026, British Airways increased its flights between Tirana and London Heathrow to up to 13 per week throughout the summer season, representing a 75% increase compared to the same period in 2025.

The airline has also introduced a new early morning departure from Tirana, which began on March 30. Morning flights arrive at London Heathrow between 09:30 and 11:15, offering passengers more onward travel options, particularly to the United States and Canada, with increased bookings to destinations such as New York, Boston, and Toronto.

This is the first time in the 20-year history of the London–Tirana route that an early morning flight has been added to the schedule, meaning passengers can depart Albania in the morning and arrive in New York in the afternoon. The new schedule also offers an additional option for travel to London, with early arrival, benefiting both business and leisure travelers.

All flights arrive and depart from Terminal 5 at London Heathrow, the main hub of British Airways, offering a modern and seamless airport experience, with premium shopping, restaurants, and lounges, as well as access to the airline’s extensive global network.

Neil Chernoff, Director of Planning and Strategy at British Airways, said:

“We are proud to celebrate 20 years of service between Tirana and London. Over the past two decades, this route has helped connect Albania with the United Kingdom and our global network.

The introduction of additional flights and a new early morning schedule underlines our continued commitment to this market, offering customers more choice and improved connectivity.”

Piervittorio Farabbi, Chief Operating Officer at Tirana International Airport, added:

“For any regional airport in Europe, a direct route to London is always considered a key route in development plans — the fact that TIA has secured this through a long-term partnership with British Airways is a testament to the airline’s vision for Albania.

Today the partnership is stronger than ever, and passengers will benefit from even more new destinations thanks to British Airways’ extensive network and its key role in Oneworld.”

Summer schedule

Route: TIA–LHR

Flight number: BA0379

Days:

• Monday & Tuesday – 08:30 / 11:00
• Wednesday – 08:45 / 11:15
• Thursday – 07:05 / 09:35
• Friday – 07:00 / 09:30
• Saturday / Sunday – 08:30 / 11:00

Route: TIA–LHR

Flight number: BA0381

Days:

• Monday – 12:50 / 15:20
• Tuesday – 13:05 / 15:35
• Wednesday & Thursday – 13:25 / 15:55
• Friday – 12:25 / 14:55
• Saturday – 18:55 / 21:05

About British Airways

As a global airline and the national carrier of the United Kingdom, British Airways has been transporting passengers to their destinations for over 100 years. The airline connects Britain with the world and the world with Britain, operating one of the widest international scheduled flight networks together with its partners through joint business agreements, codeshare, and franchising.

Together with its subsidiaries, British Airways operates to more than 200 destinations across over 75 countries in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa, and Australia. The airline is on a transformation journey called “A Better BA” and in 2024 launched its largest-ever investment plan, focusing on revolutionizing its operations and implementing advanced technologies to deliver the best customer experience.