Flights from Tirana to Athens will resume on June 15, 2020 after months of disruption, due to the air border closures as a measure to stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
Albania’s Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy announced on Wednesday that the decision of the governments of the two countries to resume regular flights stipulates the implementation of strict security protocols against COVID-19, approved by the Public Health authorities.
Direct flights between Tirana and Athens are operated daily by Aegean Airlines.
The Albanian government, said the press release, is in constant contact with the governments of European countries for reopening process of the air borders.
Earlier this month, another European carrier, Austrian Airlines announced the resumption of flights from Vienna to different destinations, including Tirana, from June 15.
As the flights were suspended for 90 days due to the coronavirus pandemic, now the carrier said that from June 15 will restart flying to Amsterdam, Athens, Basel, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, Dubrovnik, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Larnaca, London, Munich, Paris, Prishtina, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Stockholm, Stuttgart, Tel Aviv, Thessaloniki, Tirana, Varna and Zurich.
Regardless, the time table comes with reduced flights. Initially, four flights a week to Tirana will commence and depending on the COVID-19 situation, another decision will be taken in July. Prior to the crisis, Austrian Airlines had daily flights from Tirana to Vienna twice a day until it suspended all operations on March 19.
The flights to the Albanian capital will be operated on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Austrian announced that new rules of flying include wearing a mask aboard, as well as at the Vienna airport. Passengers must also take into account the self-quarantine rules of the countries where they are traveling. Longer waiting times at the airport security checks are possible.
By the end of March, all air carriers suspended flights to and from Tirana. At the moment, Albania’s only airport remains open for humanitarian or repatriation flights.
As the airlines are resuming operations, the Hungarian carrier Wizz Air, recently announced that it is turning Tirana International Airport into one of its hubs, while will add 15 new destinations from July 1.