Ryanair to grow network to 37th country this winter

The budget carrier has announced new routes to Albanian capital Tirana.

It will operate 17 routes to the city in total, offering around 200 weekly flights. These include services from Edinburgh, Manchester and Stansted.

Ryanair chief Eddie Wilson said the new links would "drive inbound tourism and connectivity to Albania".

Wilson added the routes would open up Albania’s riviera, its "lively" nightlife and several Unesco World Heritage sites, including the historic centres of Gjirokaster and Berat.

Musa Kastrati, senior vice-president of the Kastrati Group, which operates Tirana’s main airport, said the move by Ryanair demonstrated "remarkable trust in the potential of the Albania market".