Albanian Airlines Acquires Third BAe 146

Albanian Airlines has acquired a third BAe 146 to enable it to boost frequencies on its existing routes, introduce a new service to Verona and to further develop its charter programme to destinations in Egypt, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey. The BAe 146-300, configured in a six-abreast, 98-seat all-economy class layout, joins two other BAe 146s (one Series 200 and one Series 300) that are used by the airline.

The Tirana-based carrier currently offers flights to a variety of destinations with a strong focus on serving northern Italian cities such as Bergamo, Bologna, Milan, Pisa and Turin where there is a sizeable ethnic Albanian population. The new flight to Verona is due to launch in July. The airline has carried an estimated 273,000 O&D passengers in and out of Albania over the past year, accounting for a 15.5 per cent share of the total traffic.