Ryanair closed out the year by dangling a new ultra-low-cost escape for Irish flyers: fares from €39 one-way on its recently launched Dublin–Tirana service. The promotion, publicised on 30 December, positions Albania’s capital as an alternative winter-sun hub for price-sensitive leisure and bleisure travellers who might previously have opted for Malaga or the Canaries. With daytime temperatures hovering around 15 °C, Tirana offers a mild climate, mountain backdrops and Black Sea beaches an hour away.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the route is more than a holiday perk. Albania has spent the past three years streamlining work-permit procedures for EU nationals and courting foreign direct investment in IT and back-office services. Direct connectivity from Dublin reduces journey times by four hours compared with connecting itineraries via Rome or Vienna, making week-long reconnaissance trips by Irish SMEs financially viable.
Early uptake has been strong: daa passenger-data show 82 % average load factors in the first two weeks of operation. Ryanair hinted that, if sustained, the route could go daily next summer—a move that would give relocation specialists additional flexibility for exploratory visits and short-term projects.
![Ryanair’s €39 Dublin–Tirana Flights Open New Winter-Sun Corridor]()
For companies mapping itineraries, VisaHQ’s Irish portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers a quick visa-eligibility check and end-to-end application support for Albania and 200+ other destinations. Its corporate dashboard lets travel managers track multiple passports in one place, ensuring compliance and saving time when sudden trips arise.
Travel buyers should note that Tirana International Airport is 20 minutes from the city centre by taxi (€20 flat fare) but has limited ground-transport alternatives. Hotel capacity is also tight in peak conference months (May and September), so advance booking is advised. Companies sending staff should remind them that Albania is not in the EU or Schengen; Irish nationals may enter visa-free for 90 days, but non-EU assignees will need to confirm separate entry requirements.
The tax angle is also intriguing. Albania’s corporate-income-tax rate stands at 15 %, while profit up to €58,000 is taxed at just 5 % for software firms—one reason why several Irish tech start-ups have begun exploring near-shore engineering teams in Tirana. The new flight therefore fits into a broader pattern of secondary European cities leveraging low-cost carriers to lure foreign investment and digital nomads.
From a corporate-mobility perspective, the route is more than a holiday perk. Albania has spent the past three years streamlining work-permit procedures for EU nationals and courting foreign direct investment in IT and back-office services. Direct connectivity from Dublin reduces journey times by four hours compared with connecting itineraries via Rome or Vienna, making week-long reconnaissance trips by Irish SMEs financially viable.
Early uptake has been strong: daa passenger-data show 82 % average load factors in the first two weeks of operation. Ryanair hinted that, if sustained, the route could go daily next summer—a move that would give relocation specialists additional flexibility for exploratory visits and short-term projects.
For companies mapping itineraries, VisaHQ’s Irish portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers a quick visa-eligibility check and end-to-end application support for Albania and 200+ other destinations. Its corporate dashboard lets travel managers track multiple passports in one place, ensuring compliance and saving time when sudden trips arise.
Travel buyers should note that Tirana International Airport is 20 minutes from the city centre by taxi (€20 flat fare) but has limited ground-transport alternatives. Hotel capacity is also tight in peak conference months (May and September), so advance booking is advised. Companies sending staff should remind them that Albania is not in the EU or Schengen; Irish nationals may enter visa-free for 90 days, but non-EU assignees will need to confirm separate entry requirements.
The tax angle is also intriguing. Albania’s corporate-income-tax rate stands at 15 %, while profit up to €58,000 is taxed at just 5 % for software firms—one reason why several Irish tech start-ups have begun exploring near-shore engineering teams in Tirana. The new flight therefore fits into a broader pattern of secondary European cities leveraging low-cost carriers to lure foreign investment and digital nomads.
