Direct flights between Tirana and Toronto have officially begun, marking the first nonstop air connection between Albania and North America and establishing a new transatlantic route for the country.

Air Transat launched the service on 18 June with flight TS422 from Toronto to Tirana, inaugurating a weekly operation that will run every Thursday until 8 October. The route is operated with Airbus A330-200 aircraft configured in Economy and Club Class.

The start of the service represents a significant milestone for Albania’s aviation sector, which until now has not had a direct air link to North America. The connection is expected to serve both the growing Albanian diaspora in Canada and the United States, and increasing tourism flows toward Albania during the summer season.

The introduction of the route follows years of reported demand between the two cities, with airport officials previously estimating tens of thousands of passengers travelling indirectly between Toronto and Tirana annually. Aviation authorities have described the link as a strategic opening that strengthens Albania’s international connectivity and positions Tirana more firmly within the transatlantic travel network.

Air Transat has included the service as part of its wider summer expansion programme, which features new destinations and adjustments across its long-haul network. The airline has highlighted Albania’s growing appeal as a Mediterranean destination combining affordability, coastal tourism and cultural heritage.

Officials in both Canada and Albania have previously pointed to the importance of bilateral air transport agreements in enabling the route, describing it as a step that will facilitate stronger economic, cultural and diaspora ties between the two countries.