Air Albania launched in 2018 as the new flag carrier of Albania through a public private partnership with Turkish Airlines, which held a 49 percent stake. The airline quickly grew, reaching an 18 percent market share by 2021, ranking second behind Wizz Air.
However, expansion by low cost rivals, including Ryanair, limited its growth. Air Albania increasingly relied on flights to Istanbul, while competition on the route remained strong.
Its market share fell from 10 percent in 2022 to just 2.33 percent in 2025, dropping to fifth place nationally.
In November 2025, Turkish Airlines announced it would sell its stake and stopped selling transit tickets through Air Albania, leading to a suspension of flights. The Albanian government has since transferred its state owned shares to the Ministry of Economy and Innovation in a bid to restructure the struggling carrier.
