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Flights to Albania: delays, cancellations and your rights

Tirana International Airport (Nënë Tereza) is Albania’s main airport – the only Albanian airport in Eurostat’s 2024 data on routes within Europe. Flights to Albania from the EU, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland or the UK are covered by EU261 or UK261 whatever the airline; flights from Albania are covered by EU261 only when they land in the EU, Norway, Iceland or Switzerland on an airline licensed in one of those countries, and by UK261 only when they land in the UK on a UK or EU airline (in both cases not if you received benefits or compensation and assistance under local rules).

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: How we write our guides

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In short: Flying to Albania from elsewhere in Europe, a delay of 3 hours or more is worth €250–€400 per passenger on typical routes (EU261, any airline); from the UK £350 under UK261. On the way home you are covered only on an EU airline (into the EU) or a UK or EU airline (into the UK). Local rules may help on airlines from there.

Your rights each way

DirectionRulesCovered airlines3h+ delay / late cancellation
Another EU/EEA country or Switzerland → AlbaniaEU261any airline€250–€400
Albania → another EU/EEA country or SwitzerlandEU261only an EU airline€250–€400
UK → AlbaniaUK261any airline£350
Albania → UKUK261only a UK or EU airline£350
Outside Europe → Albanianone––

Amounts are per passenger and depend on the great-circle distance between your airports – the ranges cover the busiest routes. Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay the airline must provide meals and drinks, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight – where EU261 or UK261 applies.

Check your flight to or from Albania

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What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

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  • Fee only if successful (35%)
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Airports in Albania

AirportPassengers 2024*ATFM delay per arrival 2025Main cause
Tirana (TIA)8,545,7200.04 minaerodrome capacity (100%)

* Passengers on routes reported to Eurostat (both directions).

Routes from the UK to Albania

From the UK: Tirana was the only Albanian destination served from the UK in the CAA’s 2025 data. Your flight from the UK to Albania is covered by UK261 whatever the airline. The return flight is covered by UK261 only if a UK or EU airline operates it (and not if you received benefits or compensation and assistance under local rules); a flight from Albania to the EU is covered by EU261 only on an EU airline.

Punctuality of the busiest routes in 2025, from UK Civil Aviation Authority data (departures from UK airports).

RouteFlightsOn time3h+ lateCancelled
London Luton – Tirana2,37177.1%1.77%0.25%
London Stansted – Tirana1,79562.3%0.45%0.00%

Busiest European routes

Why flights to Albania are delayed

In 2025, air traffic flow restrictions held back arrivals at Albania’s airports by 0.04 minutes per flight on average (EUROCONTROL, 1 airports). The worst month was May.

Causes of air traffic flow delay (2025)

  • aerodrome capacity100%

Average ATFM delay per arrival by month (min)

  1. J
  2. F
  3. M
  4. A
  5. M
  6. J
  7. J
  8. A
  9. S
  10. O
  11. N
  12. D

Weather and air traffic control restrictions are usually extraordinary circumstances – but the airline must show they caused your delay. Check what happened on your travel day.

Strikes

No strikes affecting flights in Albania are announced in our calendar at the moment.

Strike calendar

Where to complain

  1. The airline first – in writing, with your booking reference. Use our complaint letter generator.
  2. Authority: Albanian Civil Aviation Authority (Autoriteti i Aviacionit Civil) – Passengers Rights Sector.
  3. From the UK: if you flew from a UK airport or with a UK airline, you can also use UK ADR, the CAA or the small claims court.

Tips for flying to Albania

  • Flying out from the EU or the UK, EU261 or UK261 protects you whatever the airline; on the way back, check who operates the flight – only an EU airline brings it under EU261, and only a UK or EU airline under UK261.
  • Albania has been a party to the Montreal Convention 1999 since 2004, so airline liability for proven delay costs and baggage problems follows the Convention.
  • Tirana had almost no arrival flow-control delay in EUROCONTROL’s 2024–2025 data.

Frequently asked questions

Am I covered on a flight to Albania?

From anywhere in the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, yes: EU261 covers every departing flight, whatever the airline – €250–€400 per passenger on typical routes if you arrive 3 hours or more late. From the UK, UK261 covers every departing flight (£350). From outside Europe you are covered by neither rule.

Am I covered on the flight home from Albania?

Flights from Albania into the EU are covered by EU261 only on an EU airline, and into the UK by UK261 only on a UK or EU airline. With a Albania airline you are not covered by EU261 or UK261.

Who enforces passenger rights in Albania?

Albanian Civil Aviation Authority (Autoriteti i Aviacionit Civil) – Passengers Rights Sector. Complain to the airline first; if it rejects you or does not answer, you can turn to this body. All national enforcement bodies.

Are strikes covered?

It depends whose staff are on strike. Air traffic control or airport strikes are usually extraordinary circumstances; strikes by the airline’s own staff are not (CJEU C-28/20). See strikes and compensation.

Data: Eurostat 2024, EUROCONTROL, UK Civil Aviation Authority 2025. Information only, not legal advice.

Sources

  1. Autoriteti i Aviacionit Civil – Albanian Civil Aviation Authority
  2. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
  4. Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air (Montreal, 1999) – list of parties – ICAO
  5. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 (flights by destination from UK airports) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  6. Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
  7. Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
  8. Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
  9. EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
  10. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.