Showing posts with label LOT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LOT. Show all posts

20 November, 2023

LOT Polish Airlines to distribute NDC offers through Sabre's APIs and point-of-sale tools


LOT Polish Airlines and Sabre Corporation, a leading software and technology provider that powers the global travel industry, today announced that the carrier's NDC offers are now available to travel agents worldwide through Sabre's global distribution system (GDS). With NDC, agents will have the opportunity to present the most competitive offer, personalized to the passenger's expectations. NDC offers are bookable through the Sabre Offer and Order APIs, agency booking solution, Sabre Red 360, and Sabre's online booking tool, GetThere. 

LOT Polish Airlines recently unveiled a comprehensive strategy for the 2024 to 2028 period that will involve, among other things, increasing its fleet to 110 aircrafts, introducing nearly 20 new destinations, growing passenger numbers by 70%, and strengthening environmental and social efforts. Increasing service quality and passenger satisfaction is another key objective of the strategy; a key component of that is enabling greater personalization through rich content and customized NDC-enabled offers.


"The next five years will be both exciting and challenging for our team. We have ambitious goals and NDC is one of the key enablers for bringing our strategy to life. NDC provides high quality solutions and offers advanced tools for offer and order management. I am deeply convinced that our cooperation with Sabre can make the product available to more agents and increase our competitiveness in terms of individual customers", said Marta Wiśniewska, Global Sales Director at LOT Polish Airlines.

27 September, 2023

Vilnius - London City Flights to Continue

Lithuania Launches New Route Development Model



Following the successful negotiations between the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Lithuanian Airports and the airlines, Lithuanian Airports have signed an investment agreement with LOT Polish Airlines, which will operate direct regular flights between Vilnius (VNO) and London City (LCY) airports. The Contract will be implemented under a new route development model that will ensure the continuity of flights to the strategically important financial hub of London, which has been served for the last few years. 

"London is a pilot destination for the new flight development model and we wanted to test how the model works. This convenient and familiar destination to the centre of London is essential to meet the needs of Lithuanians living in London, businesses and visitors to Lithuania. It is a bridge between Vilnius and London, and we see that users on both sides are satisfied. I am delighted that we have been able to secure this route both in 2019 and now. It is a good example of cooperation between project management and national institutions. We hope that Lithuanian Airports will be able to use this model to secure other important destinations for the country," said the Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis. 

Aušrinė Armonaitė, the Minister of Economy and Innovation, said that direct connections to priority countries are of vital importance both for our business and for foreign investors working in Lithuania. 

"Flight to London is also good news for our community. Using the new flight development model, Lithuania will become even more attractive for job creation and inbound tourism," says A. Armonaitė.

Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas says that it is important for Vilnius to have good connections to London. 

"London is home to financial centres of global importance. We want to see more international companies setting up in Vilnius and more good jobs, so we will look for ways to help increase demand for flights that are important for the capital," says the Mayor of Vilnius. 

A convenient schedule


The Contract with LOT Polish Airlines was signed after an international selection process for a scheduled flight operator. The selection criteria included the requirement that the route be operated at time and frequencies convenient for business travellers. All the necessary qualification checks and coordination of the joint business plan were carried out prior to the signature of the Contract. The new model will commence on October 1st this year and will ensure uninterrupted services on this important route. 

"This route is a prestigious project and a very strategic one in the context of the existing regular flights. From October onwards, the flight will continue to operate from Vilnius at a very convenient time, which we believe will also contribute to its growing popularity.  It is very important to understand that the country's investment in the development of priority flights is necessary, therefore, together with our partners, we will make every effort to ensure that the state budget will provide the necessary amount for the effective continuation of the development of the flights in the coming years as well," says Simonas Bartkus, CEO of Lithuanian Airports. 

S. Bartkus stresses that the new flight development model is not a subsidy or grant to airlines. Under this model, both in this case and in the future, contracts will only be concluded with those airlines with which a financially viable business plan for a particular route has been agreed, both for Lithuanian Airports and airlines. The new model is based on a long-term partnership between Lithuanian Airports and the airlines operating the flights. Both parties to the Contract will bear the financial risks associated with the operation of the flight and will share the financial benefits generated by the flight. All the terms and conditions for sharing the financial risks and benefits are set out in the business plan between Lithuanian Airports and LOT Polish Airlines. 


This new practice, he said, could provide a solid basis for future planning of the development of priority routes on a similar model. 

It should also be noted that the capital of the United Kingdom is also among the priority destinations for inbound tourism, so a direct flight to the centre of London is an advantage in attracting more tourists to Lithuania. The possibility of a direct flight to London could serve as a catalyst for inbound tourism, with the right focus by Lithuania’s tourism representatives placed on-demand stimulation.

Connecting to London is a priority 


Until now, LOT Polish Airlines had been contracted under a different model (Public Service Obligation - PSO), but with the UK's exit from the European Union (EU), it was no longer possible to contract under such EU regulation. 

Flights between Vilnius and the City of London were also operated by LOT Polish Airlines from May 1st 2019 until September 30th this year. This project was one of the few regulatory exemptions granted by the European Commission allowing an airline to grant State aid for the operation of a flight when the flight is recognized as a flight of special interest within the EU.

06 October, 2022

LOT Polish Airlines signs lease deal for 6 Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Photo Boeing
LOT to take 6 unwanted 737 MAX 8 on lease  Photo Boeing
This week the aircraft leasing giant Air Lease Corporation confirmed it had agreed on a deal to lease 6 Boeing 737 MAX 8 jets to LOT Polish Airlines. 

This deal will see all the planes delivered to LOT this month, October 2022 and will add to the five Boeing 737-8 and one Dreamliner aircraft currently on lease to the Polish airline from ALC.

“We are honoured and pleased to expand our long relationship with LOT by leasing the airline six modern 737- [MAX] 8 jet aircraft, in addition to the six aeroplanes currently on lease, doubling the size of the ALC-owned portfolio to 12 aircraft at LOT.  ALC has played an important role in the recent fleet modernization program of LOT since late 2017 and these six additional aircraft will support LOT’s network and development strategy,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation.

“LOT is in the process of selecting a new fleet in the regional and narrow-body segment.  Until a supplier is selected, we are planning to source aircraft as a bridging solution - the first Embraer 175 and 190 have already joined LOT Polish Airlines' fleet and will soon be followed by the Boeing 737- [MAX] 8.  I am very pleased to see these reliable and economical aircraft completing our single-aisle fleet,” said Maciej Wilk, Chief Operating Officer of LOT Polish Airlines.

Book LOT Polish Airlines flights here.

LOT Polish Airlines was founded in 1928 and is based in Warsaw using Chopin Airport as its main hub. It also flies from Tallinn, Krakow and Budapest, and with over 90 destinations covered in mainly Europe and the Middle East it also has many long-haul flights to North America and Asia.






16 April, 2022

LOT reconnects Warsaw and Ostrava

Polish airline LOT has resumed flights between Ostrava Airport and Warsaw again.

Photo F. Mojżysz


Another sign the commercial aviation world is recovering to its former size, the Polish airline LOT has added another destination back in its route network, Ostrava.  The carrier now operates the connection between the two cities five times a week with flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. 

LOT says the flight schedule has been specifically designed to allow quick and easy connections for passengers arriving in Warsaw to its great and growing network. Customers can transfer to a large number of linking routes to destinations around Europe, including favourites like Amsterdam, Paris, Munich and others. With a simple and fast transfer, people can also connect on to long-haul flights to places including New York, Chicago and Toronto.

At the moment, while strengthening the position of LOT Polish Airlines in the global aviation market daily, the firm is also offering a wide selection of freshly relaunched short-haul routes to destinations such as Nice in France, Kosice in Slovakia, and the capital of Armenia - Yerevan.
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29 December, 2021

Menzies Aviation service truck hits LOT 737 wing.


An investigation is underway at London Heathrow after the driver of a service lorry collided with the wingtip of a LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft.

The passenger jet was being refuelled at the time of the collision and the split Scimitar winglet is said to have been badly damaged by the lorry of handling agent Menzies Aviation.

The airport fire service responded to the incident as is standard procedure for such a collision, although no injuries have, as yet, been reported. 

LOT had to cancel the aircraft's flight to Warsaw, Poland, while other flights were delayed during the incident. 

The Metro newspaper reported that the images of the scene appeared to show part of a wingtip almost broken off the Boeing 737 aircraft after getting caught in the side of the lorry.



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13 May, 2021

LOT Polish Airlines and SkyCell, sign an agreement that extending LOT Cargo’s capabilities in the transport of medicines and pharmaceutical products (PIL).

 
LOT Polish Airlines and SkyCell, a Swiss provider of hybrid containers, signed an agreement that extends LOT Cargo’s capabilities in the transport of medicines and pharmaceutical products (PIL). 


Thanks to advanced technology, SkyCell’s hybrid containers guarantee to maintain a constant transport temperature necessary for transporting demanding shipments even to  distant regions of the world.


The transport of pharmaceutical products requires the airlines to apply specialist solutions and meet demanding standards guaranteeing safety and the highest quality of provided services. Pharma and Life-Science is a critical sector of global cargo transport for LOT; therefore, the company is constantly increasing its competencies and improving its offer addressed to companies operating in this industry. 



In July 2020, LOT Cargo obtained the IATA CEIV Pharma certificate, which gave the Polish carrier a place in the prestigious group of 25 airlines with a documented and approved PIL QMS Quality Management System for pharmaceutical shipment management.

22 June, 2020

LOT to restart international flights on 1st July.

LOT Polish Airlines has confirmed it will expand its route network with international flights from the start of July. Passengers will be able to fly to selected Schengen countries, including Germany, the Czech Republic, Belgium and Norway, as well as plan their holidays in Greece, Croatia, Bulgaria or Spain.

These will be the first regular international passenger flights since their suspension on March 13. The flight schedule for the first two weeks of July includes primarily flights to the Schengen countries and popular holiday destinations. The route network of 20 European cities includes:

seven flights a week to Prague, Duesseldorf, Vilnius and Budapest;
six flights a week to Berlin;
five flights a week to Vienna, Brussels and Kiev (Boryspil Airport);
four flights a week to Amsterdam and Bucharest;
three flights a week to Barcelona, Tbilisi and Oslo;
two flights a week to Split and Dubrovnik;
at least one flight per week to Zadar, Podgorica, Corfu, Chania and Varna.
All international flights will be operated from Chopin Airport in Warsaw until July 14.

In addition, two connections from Budapest will return to the resumed LOT network - to Varna and Dubrovnik, operated once a week during the weekend. LOT will also maintain its existing schedule of over 30 domestic flights a day. Passengers will be able to conveniently transfer to any of the international flights in Warsaw. 

06 June, 2020

How are LOT Polish Airlines flight numbers created? Is there any logic to it?

How are LOT flight numbers created? 

Is there any logic in their creation?
The flight number is a combination of numbers and letters preceded by a two-letter IATA code unique to each airline. LOT Polish Airlines have a distinguishing feature LO. Usually, eastbound flights have even numbers assigned, and westbly flights have odd numbers. Example: a flight from Warsaw to Los Angeles is assigned the number LO21, while a return flight from Los Angeles to Warsaw is assigned the number LO22.
From the flight number you can find out how important the route is for the airline, but also what type of flight it is. Number 1 is often assigned to the flagship airline connection - in our routemap, the flight with the LO1 number is the connection between Warsaw and Chicago. Often, more prestigious long-haul flights have double-digit numbers, and shorter range flights are assigned three-digit numbers. Example: one of the flights from Warsaw to London is assigned the number LO281, while flights to the USA or Asia are assigned two-digit numbers - from Warsaw to Los Angeles LO21, and from Warsaw to Singapore LO67.

Poland's ban on international flights extended to June 16 as LOT operates limited domestic flight schedule

Photo LOT Polish Airlines
The government in Poland is to extend the ban on international flights until 16th June as the country tried to control the spread of coronavirus COVID-19.  Before the weekend, the country had recorded 1137 deaths and over 25,400 confirmed cases of the virus.  

The national carrier LOT has also extended its current schedule of domestic flights until June 19, 2020. As part of the renewed schedule, the airline will operate flights from Warsaw to Gdansk, Krakow, Poznan, Rzeszow, Szczecin, Wroclaw and Zielona Gora as well as a flight on the Krakow - Gdansk route. 

The revised schedule includes approximately 30 domestic flights, operated from Warsaw to Gdansk - up to three times a day, from Warsaw to Krakow, Poznan, Rzeszow, Szczecin, Wroclaw, Zielona Gora - up to twice a day and from Krakow to Gdansk - once a day. The introduction of further destinations, including international ones, depends on local administrative regulations and the current epidemic situation in a particular region.

27 April, 2020

LOT wants to convert Dreamliners to freighters

Photo LOT
LOT Polish airlines jas begin negotiations with the US planemaker, Boeing, over the conversion of its 787 Dreamliner passenger aircraft into cargo craft.

According to local media, the request would only be a temporary issue to help the carrier cope with the crippling losses caused by the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. shutdown. The airline is seeking to branch further into other areas now that passenger demand has virtually slowed to zero. "If we get approval and meet all safety requirements, we will become the first airline in the world that will adapt the Dreamliner for such transport." Michal Czernicki, a spokesperson for the carrier said on Monday. 

LOT has 15 Dreamliners in its fleet and has been using some to perform repatriation flights and transport supplied of personal protective equipment from China to Poland to the hep the Polish health system to try to ease the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

According to Reuters, Czernicki declined to comment on timing, what kind of cargo the airline might transport in the aircraft or for how long they would be used as hybrid freighters. 



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25 February, 2020

LOT Polish Airlines extends Beijing suspension.

The Management Board of Polish Airlines LOT has decided to prolong the suspension of all flights between Warsaw and Beijing.  The airline will axe the flights until 28 March 2020 and said it came to this decision out of a concern for the safety of its passengers and crews. 

At the same time, it says it will closely monitor the epidemiological situation all around the world and staying in touch with representatives of the Ministry of Health and the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.



28 January, 2020

LOT's parent buys Condor

Polish Aviation Group (PGL), the owner of LOT Polish Airlines, announces the acquisition of Condor, putting a successful end to the protective shield proceedings.

PGL will ensure continued stability and certainty for customers, partners and employees
The combination of LOT and Condor within PGL creates one of the leading European aviation groups with Germany and Poland as core markets
Condor will become the centre of PGL’s leisure strategy with a focus on growth in Germany as well as adjacent markets, building one of the leading European leisure airlines
Going forward, Condor will continue to operate under the leadership of its successful management team and with its own brand as Germany’s most popular leisure airline, offering the same quality, service and reliability to its customers
The bridge financing provided by the KfW and guaranteed by the German Federal Government and the State of Hessen will be repaid in full

“The acquisition of Condor fits perfectly into PGL’s strategy. It also secures the future of Condor and offers stability and great opportunities to its employees, customers and business partners. We want to develop Condor’s iconic brand in Germany and also introduce it to other markets in Europe. We wholeheartedly welcome all Condor employees to the PGL family and invite them to build together one of the greatest aviation groups in Europe,” says Rafał Milczarski, President of the Management Board of PGL.


10 April, 2019

LOT offer special fares from London City

The Polish airline LOT has recently introduced two new routes from London City Airport, in the heart of London, in addition to the service to Warsaw, they also fly directly to yo Vilnius (1st May) and Budapest.

Flights from London City
Flights to Vilnius from 95 GBP round trip✈ 
Enjoy our direct connection from London City to Vilnius and travel cheaper. Flights from 95 GBP round trip. Check details on lot.com and plan your trip.

Offer valid until 21st April subject to availability, hand luggage only return prices. Travel period: 06.05 - 30.06.2019

18 February, 2019

LOT starts Budapest - London City Airport route

LOT Polish Airlines has started flying directly between Budapest and London City twice daily, twelve times a week. 

To operate this special route, LOT acquired four brand-new Embraer E190 jets, joining existing flights between London City and Warsaw. From May 1st the air carrier will also launch flights between London City and Vilnius.

Flights from Budapest to London City will be operated according to the following schedule: departures to LCY daily (except Sundays) at 7:00am, arrivals at 8:45am and daily (except Saturdays) at 5:15pm, arrivals at 7:00pm. Departures to BUD are scheduled daily (except Sundays) at 9:15am, arrivals at 12:45pm and daily (except Saturdays) at 7:30pm, arrivals at 11:00pm.

London City Airport is conveniently located in London’s Royal Docks, and is the nearest airport to the business and financial centre of London and less than six miles from famous attractions such as Tower Bridge and the Shard. The newest service offered by LOT will bind Hungarian-UK relations even stronger, based on the hugely important human and economic links between the countries.

08 January, 2019

Warsaw - London City service launched from LOT

LOT Polish Airlines will be introducing  For this special route, LOT acquired 4 brand-new Embraer 190 jets. From February 18th they will operate to London City from Budapest and Vilnius starting as of May 1st.

Poland’s flag carrier flies directly from Warsaw to London City up to twice a day.


Flights from Warsaw to London City will be operated according to the following schedule: Departures to LCY daily (except Sundays) at 7:15am, arrivals at 9:00am and daily (except Saturdays) at 4:15pm, arrivals at 6:00pm. Departures to WAW are scheduled daily (except Sundays) at 9:30am, arrivals at 1:00pm and daily (except Saturdays) at 6:30pm, arrivals at 10:00pm.

London City Airport is conveniently located in London’s Royal Docks, is the nearest airport to the business and financial centre of London and less than six miles from famous attractions such as Tower Bridge and the Shard. The newest service offered by LOT will bind Polish-UK relations even stronger, based on the hugely important human and economic links between the countries. As many as 7 million passengers travelled between Poland and UK in 2017.

17 December, 2018

London City Airport to get new route to Lithuania next year


The small but perfectly formed London City Airport, London’s most central airport will have yet another new route next year.  LOT Polish Airlines have confirmed they will be introducing a new UK-Lithuania air link from May 2019.

The new route between London City Airport and Vilnius in Lithuania will be the third new route from LOT Polish Airlines and designed to appeal to city breakers, business leaders and East London’s significant Lithuanian population alike.


The state-run Lithuania Airports group awarded LOT the service following a tender process, operating Vilnius-London City with state support as a Public Service Obligation (PSO) route. London City Airport was specifically chosen by the Lithuanian Government for its convenience and proximity to central London.

LOT will offer up to 12 flights per week, with the route the latest in a series of successes for the airport’s aviation strategy, responding to increased demand from passengers.

27 October, 2018

LOT Polish Airlines offers to reinstate workers it sacked for striking, providing unions suspend further industrial action

Photo Jacek Bonczek
It is being reported that the management of LOT Polish Airlines has offered to reinstate the 67 staff it recently sacked for taking strike action. If the news is true, it will be a major u-turn for the carrier who had warmed more sackings would be forthcoming, should more staff take industrial action.  

The hardline stance adopted by the airline was roundly criticised by many industry advisers both in Poland and internationally. It also appeared to have the opposite effect, with more staff members taking strike action over the last week, causing the cancellations of a large number of flights. 

In a statement with the unions, the company said it had offered to reinstate the 67 sacked workers while the unions have promised to suspend strike action until Monday afternoon. A spokesperson for the unions said LOT's decision to dismiss the staff and impose self-employment contracts on employees was against Poland’s labour laws and regulations.  


22 October, 2018

LOT sacks striking workers

LOT Polish Airlines has taken another aggressive step up in its battle with its disgruntled employees by sacking 67 striking workers on Monday October 22nd.

The mnajority of LOT's 3000 strong workforce are protesting about conditions and pay at the national airline of Poland. They are particularly unhappy with the imposition of self-employment contracts. “It’s another form of bullying,” Karol Sadowski, the lawyer representing the pilot and cabin crew unions engaged in the strikes saying the decision to lay off workers was in his opinion illegal.

 LOT Chief Executive Rafal Milczarski told the media  “It was a sad but necessary decision,” and later a spokesperson for the company said the sackings were carried out legally and warned more could be on the way.


05 September, 2018

New Miami route for LOT Polish Airlines

LOT Polish Airlines have confirmed it will start a new US route in June next year. The popular European airline will inaugurate a service from Warsaw to Miami from 1st June next year.

The new nonstop service will be the first ever link between the two airports and expands the airlines US destinations to six.  "LOT Polish Airlines is an exciting addition to MIA's growing roster of international carriers," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez. "This new connection to Eastern Europe will go a long way toward expanding MIA's role as a true global gateway."

The Polish airline, LOT will operate four flights each and will utilise new generation B787-8 Dreamliner aircraft on the route. The current configuration on LOT's Dreamliners provides room for  252 passengers.  "Miami is currently one of the largest markets in the U.S so far not served by LOT," said Rafał Milczarski, LOT CEO. "It is the first such convenient connection between Central and Eastern Europe and Florida with almost half a million passengers per year travelling between the two regions. Thanks to our broad network of connections and the most convenient transfers offered via hub in Warsaw, I am sure that many passengers from Miami will take advantage of our latest offer and fly on our board to Budapest, Prague, Kiev or Tel-Aviv."

LOT, which launched operations in 1928, is considered one of the fastest-growing airlines in Europe today, with seven million passengers onboard each year. LOT's fleet of 73 aircraft is also one of the youngest and most modern in Europe.


(Photo's  Miami - D Ramey Logan,  787 -  Lot Polish Airlines)

14 July, 2018

LOT Polish Airlines to start Tel Aviv - Krakow route

Star Alliance member LOT Polish Airlines has this week confirmed it will be starting a new service from Krakow to Israel's Tel Aviv from 25th February 2019.

The airline tells us that tickets are on sale now and the route will be operated by a Boeing 737 - 800 aircraft and initially will fly twice a week. 

The new service will start off flying on Monday's and Wednesday's however, from 22nd April the days will change to Tuesday's and Thursday's.  Currently, the schedule will see the 787-800 depart Krakow at 0550, arriving Tel Aviv 1025 with the return leg departing 2115 landing back in Krakow 2359, all times local and subject to change. 
Photo Jacek Bonczek

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