LOT Polish Airlines

LOT Polish Airlines
Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A.

IATA ICAO Call sign LO LOT LOT[1]
Founded	29 December 1928; 95 years ago (1928-12-29)[2]
Commenced operations	1 January 1929; 95 years ago (1929-01-01)
Hubs	Warsaw–Chopin
Focus cities	Katowice Kraków Warsaw–Radom
Frequent-flyer program	Miles & More
Alliance	Star Alliance
Subsidiaries	LOT Charters LOT Cargo
Fleet size	85
Destinations	145[3]
Parent company	Polish Aviation Group
Headquarters	Warsaw, Poland
Key people	Michał Fijoł (CEO)
Revenue	US$1.86 billion (2022)[4]
Operating income	US$72.3 million (2017)
Net income	US$25.5 million (2022)[4]
Profit	US$93.8 million (2017)[5]
Total assets	US$1.39 billion (2017)[5]
Total equity	US$104.4 million (2017)[5]
Employees	2,683
Website	www.lot.com

LOT Polish Airlines, legally incorporated as Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. (Polish pronunciation: [lɔt], flight), is the flag carrier of Poland.^[6] It is a founding member of IATA and remains one of the world's oldest airlines in operation.^[2] With a fleet of 80 aircraft as of August 2024,^[7] LOT Polish Airlines is the 18th largest operator in Europe, serving 105 domestic and international destinations across Europe, Asia and North America.^[8] The airline was founded on 29 December 1928 by the Polish government during the Second Polish Republic as a self-governing limited liability corporation, taking over existing domestic airlines Aerolot (founded in 1922) and Aero (founded in 1925), and began operations on 1 January 1929.^[2]

During the 1930s, LOT expanded its domestic and international routes, leading to a network spanning over 10,250 km by 1939. It also expanded its fleet, acquiring Douglas DC-2 and Lockheed Electra and various other aircraft. The airline moved its operations to the new Warsaw Okęcie Airport in 1934. However, the outbreak of World War II in 1939 led to the suspension of services and evacuation of most of LOT's aircraft. Post-war, LOT was reestablished in 1945 as a state enterprise, primarily operating Soviet-built aircraft due to Poland becoming a Soviet satellite state in 1948. Resuming both domestic and international flights, LOT operated a fleet consisting of Ilyushin Il-18, Ilyushin Il-62, Tupolev Tu-134, and Antonov An-24, among others, serving routes across Europe, the Middle East, and eventually launching transatlantic flights to North America in the early 1970s.

In the post-1989 era, following the fall of communism in Poland, LOT transitioned to Western aircraft, including the acquisition of Boeing 767 for long-haul routes. The airline joined the Star Alliance in 2003. In 2012, LOT became the first European operator of Boeing 787 Dreamliner.^[9] In recent years, the airline faced a failed privatization attempt and a temporary suspension of operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the destinations originate from its hub at Warsaw Chopin Airport.^[10][11] Since 2018, LOT has maintained one long-haul route from Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Hungary where it operates regularly scheduled flights to Seoul all year round.