LOT Polish Airlines, legallyPolskie Linie Lotnicze LOTS.A. (Polish pronunciation:[lɔt],flight), is theflag carrier ofPoland.[5] A founding member ofIATA, it is one of theworld's oldest airlines still in operation.[6] With a fleet of 90 aircraft as of February 2026,[7] LOT is Europe's22nd largest operator by the total number of passengers scheduled, serving 97 destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America.[8] The airline was founded on 29 December 1928 by the Polish government during theSecond Polish Republic as a self-governing limited liability corporation, taking over existing domestic airlinesAerolot (founded in 1922) andAero (founded in 1925). LOT officially commenced operations on 1 January 1929.[6]
In the 1930s, LOT expanded its domestic and international routes, leading to a network spanning over 10,250km by 1939. It also expanded its fleet, acquiringDouglas DC-2 andLockheed Electra aircraft, amongst others. The airline moved its operations to the newWarsaw Okęcie Airport (now Warsaw Chopin Airport) in 1934. However, theoutbreak of World War II in 1939, led to the suspension of services and the evacuation of most of LOT's aircraft. Post-war, LOT was reestablished in 1945 as astate enterprise, primarily operating Soviet aircraft due to Poland's reemergence ascommunist state in 1948. Resuming both domestic and international flights, LOT operated a fleet consisting ofIlyushin Il-18,Ilyushin Il-62,Tupolev Tu-134 andAntonov An-24 aircraft. LOT served routes across Europe, the Middle East, and eventually launched transatlantic flights in the early 1970s.
A trimotorFokker F.VIIB-3m, registration SP-ABC (equipped with skis), serving the Warsaw-Bucharest route.
When the airline was founded in 1928, Poland'sState Treasury held 86% of shares, with the rest belonging to theProvince of Silesia and the city ofPoznań.[13] In the early 1930s, in addition to existing services fromWarsaw toKraków,Poznań,Gdańsk andLviv, new services toBydgoszcz andKatowice were introduced. It was also at this point, in 1931, when LOT's well-renowned logo, the "Flying Crane" (designed by the graphic artistTadeusz Gronowski, and still in use today) was picked as the winning entry of the airline's logo design competition.
In the same year, the company's first multi-segment international flight along the routeWarsaw –Lviv –Czerniowce –Bucharest was launched. In 1932, LOT began flying toVilnius.[14] In next years there followed services toBerlin,Athens,Helsinki,Budapest, including some waypoints.[14] By 1939 the lines were extended toBeirut,Rome,Copenhagen, reaching 10,250 km (6,370 mi).[14] TheDouglas DC-2,Lockheed Model 10A Electra andModel 14H Super Electra joined the fleet in 1935, 1936 and 1938 respectively.[15] (During this period, LOT had 10 Lockheed 10As, 10 Lockheed 14s, 3 DC-2s and 1Ju 52/3mge). Several Polish aircraft designs were tested, but only the single-enginedPWS-24 airliner was finally acquired. In 1934, after five years of operating under the LOT name, the airline received new head offices, technical facilities, hangars, workshops, and warehouses located at the new, modernWarsaw Okęcie Airport. This constituted a move from the airline's previous base atPole Mokotowskie, as this airport had become impossible to operate safely due its gradual absorption intoWarsaw's urban and residential areas.[16]
Passengers disembark a pre-war LOTDouglas DC-2 aircraft.
In 1938, LOT changed its name, following that year'sPolish spelling reform, from Polskie Linje Lotnicze 'LOT' to Polskie Linie Lotnicze 'LOT'.[2] That same year, a well-publicised transatlantic test flight fromLos Angeles toWarsaw viaBuenos Aires,Natal andDakar, aimed at judging the feasibility of introducing passenger service on the Poland-United States route, was successfully executed.[17] There were plans to introduce London and Moscow flights, and even a transatlantic service in 1940.[13] The airline had carried 218,000 passengers before services were suspended due to the outbreak ofWorld War II on 1 September 1939. Most of LOT'saircraft were subsequently evacuated to Romania, two to theBaltic states, and threeL-14Hs to Great Britain.[14] In 1939 LOT had 697 employees, including 25 pilots, most of which were evacuated along with the planes. The 13 airliners that got to Romania were seized by the Romanian government.[18] For the duration of the Second World War, LOT's operations were suspended.
After the Soviet occupation of Poland, from August 1944 until December 1945, thePolish Air Force maintained basic transport in the country. From March 1945 there were regular routes maintained by Civil Aviation Department of the Air Force.[19] On 10 March 1945 the Polish Government reintroduced LOT as astate-owned enterprise (Przedsiębiorstwo Państwowe Polskie Linie Lotnicze 'LOT'), which would mainly fly Soviet-built aircraft, owing to the tensions of theCold War and Poland being a member of theWarsaw Pact.[19] In 1946, seven years after services were first suspended, the airline restarted its operations after receiving ten Soviet-built ex-Air ForceLisunov Li-2Ts, then further passenger Li-2Ps and nineDouglas C-47s.[19] Both domestic and international services restarted that year, first to Berlin, Paris,Stockholm andPrague.[19] In 1947 there were added routes to Bucharest, Budapest, Belgrad and Copenhagen.[19] Five modern, although troublesomeSE.161 Languedocs joined the fleet for a short period in 1947–1948, followed by fiveIlyushin Il-12Bs in 1949; 13–20Ilyushin Il-14s then followed in 1955–1957.[19] After the end ofStalinism in Poland, several Western aircraft would be acquired; fiveConvair 240s in 1957 and threeVickers Viscounts in 1962. These proved to be the last until the 1990s.[20] After that, the composition of the airline's fleet shifted exclusively toSoviet-produced aircraft.[20] Only in 1955 LOT inaugurated services toMoscow, being the centre of the Marxist–Leninist world, and toVienna.[19] Services toLondon andZürich were not re-established until 1958, and to Rome until 1960.[20]
NineIlyushin Il-18 turboprop airliners were introduced in June 1961, leading to the establishment of routes to Africa and the Middle East, and in 1963 LOT expanded its routes to serveCairo.[20] In the 1970s there were added lines toBaghdad,Beirut,Benghazi,Damascus andTunis. TheAntonov An-24 was delivered from April 1966 (20 used, on domestic routes), followed by the first jet airlinersTupolev Tu-134 in November 1968 (which coincided with the opening of a new international terminal at Warsaw's Okęcie Airport). The Tu-134s were operated on European routes. TheIlyushin Il-62 long-rangejet airliner inaugurate the first transatlantic routes in the history of Polish air transport toToronto in 1972 as a charter flight and a regular flight toNew York City in 1973.[20] LOT began service on its first Far East destination –Bangkok viaDubai andBombay in 1977.[20]
In 1977 the airline's currentlivery (despite occasional changes, notably in corporate typography) designed by Roman Duszek and Andrzej Zbrożek, with the large 'LOT' inscription in blue on the frontfuselage, and a blue tailplane was introduced.[20] However, despite livery changes over the years, the 1929-designedTadeusz Gronowski logo,[21] however, remains the same to this day.[22]
In the autumn of 1981, commercial air traffic in Poland neared collapse in the wake of the communist government's crackdown on dissenters in the country after the rise of the bannedSolidarity movement. During this period many Western airlines also suspended their flights to Warsaw. With the 13 Decemberdeclaration of Martial Law, all LOT connections were suspended. Charter flights to New York and Chicago resumed only in 1984, and eventually, regular flight connections were restored on 28 April 1985.Tupolev Tu-154 mid-range airliners were acquired, after the withdrawal of Il-18 and Tu-134 aircraft from LOT's fleet in the 1980s, and were deployed successively on most European and Middle East routes. In 1986 transatlantic charter flights also reachedDetroit andLos Angeles.
After thefall of the communist system in Poland in 1989 the fleet shifted back to Western aircraft, beginning with acquisitions of theBoeing 767-200 in April 1989,[23] followed by theBoeing 767-300 in March 1990,ATR 72 in August 1991,Boeing 737-500 in December 1992 and finally theBoeing 737-400 in April 1993. From the mid-1980s to early 1990s LOT flew from Warsaw to Chicago, Edmonton, Montreal, Newark, New York City and Toronto. These routes were primarily inaugurated to serve the large Polish communities (Polonia) in North America.
LOT was among the first Central European airlines to operate American aircraft when the Boeing 767 was introduced; the 767s were used to operate LOT's longest-ever connection, to Singapore. By the end of 1989 LOT had hosted that year's IATA congress and reached a milestone annual load-factor of 2.3 million passengers carried over the year.
LOT's acquisition of long-range Boeing 767s, allowed it to reposition itself as a transit airline. Seen here is aBoeing 767-200 arriving atZurich Airport in 1997.
In 1990 LOT's third Boeing 767-300 landed atWarsaw Chopin Airport and not long after Boeing 737 and ATR 72 aircraft were acquired for use on LOT's expanded route network, which began to include new international destinations such asKyiv,Lviv,Minsk andVilnius. In 1993, LOT began to expand its Western-European operations, inaugurating, in quick succession, flights toOslo,Frankfurt andDüsseldorf; operations at Poland's other regional airports outside Warsaw were also duly expanded around this time.
In 1994 the airline signed acodesharing agreement withAmerican Airlines on flights to and from Warsaw as well as onward flights in the United States and Poland operated by both companies; flights to Thessaloniki, Zagreb and Nice were inaugurated, and according to an IATA report, in this year LOT had the youngest fleet of any airline in the world. After years of planning, in 1997 LOT set up a sister airline, EuroLOT, which, essentially operating as its parent airline's regional subsidiary, took over domestic flights. The airline was developed with the hope that it would increase transit passenger-flow through Warsaw's Chopin Airport, whilst at the same time providing capacity on routes with smaller load factors and play a part in developing LOT's reputation as the largest transit airline in Central and Eastern Europe. By 1999 LOT had purchased a number of smallEmbraer 145 regional jets in order to expand its short-haul fleet, and had, with the approval of the Minister of the State Treasury, begun a process of selling shares to the Swiss company SAirGroup Holding; this then led to the airline's incorporation into the then-nascent Qualiflyer Group.
LOT became the eleventh full member of theStar Alliance in 2003. Pictured is aBoeing 737-500 in the alliance's special livery (2009).
Expansion of LOT's route network continued in the early 2000s and the potential of the airline's hub atWarsaw Chopin Airport to become a major transit airport was realised. In 2000 LOT took delivery of its largest-ever order of 11 aircraft, and by 2001 it had reached a milestone passengers-carried figure of 3 million customers in one year; the expansion led to the reconstruction of much of LOT's ground infrastructure, and by 2002 a new central Warsaw head office was opened on Ul. 17 Stycznia. On 26 October 2003, LOT, after the collapse of theQualiflyer Group, became the 14th member of theStar Alliance. By 2006 a new base of operations, with the reconstruction ofWarsaw Chopin Airport, had opened, thus allowing LOT's full transit airline potential to be developed for the first time. The new airport was much larger than any previous airport in Poland. In that same year, PopeBenedict XVI returned to Rome on a LOT flight following his pilgrimage to Poland.
LOT created low-cost armCentralwings in 2004;[24] however, the company was dissolved and reincorporated into LOT after just five years of operations due to its long-term unprofitability and LOT's desire to redeploy aircraft within its own fleet.
In 2008, LOT opened a new flight toBeijing, but this lasted just one month, in the period before the2008 Beijing Olympics. The reason given by the airline for the discontinuation of the service was the need to route aircraft via anair corridor to the south ofKazakhstan (as LOT did not have permission for flights overSiberia from the Russian government), which was making the services too long and thus unprofitable.[25]
LOT started new services toYerevan andBeirut and resumedTallinn,Kaliningrad,Gothenburg andBratislava flights. with its newly acquiredEmbraer aircraft in the summer of 2010. In October of the same year LOT resumed service to Asia, with three weekly flights on theWarsaw –Hanoi route. In addition to this, new services toTbilisi,Damascus, andCairo were inaugurated.
LOT celebrated the 80th anniversary of its foundation in 2009. The event was marked by the application of a gold livery to one of the airline'sBoeing 737-400s.
In 2010 LOT cancelled flights, after 14 years of operation, between Kraków and Chicago and New York, citing profitability concerns and a lack of demand. The last US-Kraków flight departed on 27 October 2010 from ChicagoO'Hare Airport. The aircraft previously used on this route were then re-deployed to serve LOT's Warsaw-Hanoi route.[26] This route to Hanoi (the Vietnamese capital) was largely under-utilised by European carriers and proved very successful for LOT in the beginning.
On 31 May 2010, CEO of LOTSebastian Mikosz said that the airline would be replacing its fleet to meet a goal of one-third new by 2011. Replacement already started with Embraer E-Jets 175/170. For domestic expanded operations, LOT purchasedDash 8-Q400 overATR 72-600 aircraft.
On 5 February 2011, the new CEO of LOT, Marcin Piróg, announced that the airline was considering opening services to Baku, Sochi, Stuttgart, Oslo, Gothenburg, Dubai, Kuwait, and Ostrava from its Warsaw hub in the near future. Previously planned flights toDonetsk had already been inaugurated, as had Tokyo, and the resumption of Beijing flights. This became feasible after the finalizing of an agreement on Siberian overflight permits for LOT by the Polish and Russian governments in November 2011.[27] As a result of the agreement, LOT received new take-off and landing slots at Moscow'sSheremetyevo International Airport. Although delayed from the original plans, LOT began flights to Tokyo on 13 January 2016, with flights three times per week.[28]
In 2010/11 LOT announced its new 'East meets West' route expansion policy, which saw the airline add several new Asian destinations to its schedule over the coming years. The policy aimed to take advantage of LOT's perspective as a transit airline and the substantial passenger growth seen on Europe-Asia flights in recent years. Also, in line with this policy LOT introducedpremium economy class on all Boeing 787 aircraft. Additionally, lie-flat seats were made available in business class, and all of the airline's new long-haul aircraft were fitted withThales personal entertainment systems.[29]
In 2018, two new aircraft (this Boeing787-9 Dreamliner and a737 MAX-8) were painted in liveries commemorating Poland's independence.
In June 2012, LOT announced all services to New York would be centralized from Newark and JFK Terminal 4 toJFK Terminal 1 from October 2012.[30] It would also enter into a codeshare agreement withJetBlue to increase the number of onward connections available to its customers.In July 2012 it was announced that a planned sale of a major stake in the airline toTurkish Airlines would not go ahead. The main problem was the inability of Turkish Airlines to own a majority stake, inasmuch as it is not aEuropean Union company.[31][32]
On 21 June 2015, 1,400 of the airline's passengers were affected as 22 of its flights were impacted after hackers attacked airline computers that were issuingflight plans at Warsaw'sOkecie airport.[33][34] LOT spokesmanAdrian Kubicki said: "We're using state-of-the-art computer systems, so this could potentially be a threat to others in the industry."[33]
Amidst a restructuring plan which saw the airline return to profitability for the first time in seven years, a 22 June 2015 press conference revealed details about the airline's prospects. These included reinstating routes renounced as part of EU sanctions imposed following Polish government aid granted to ensure the airline's survival, as well as new long haul routes to Asia and North America.
Air Lease Corporation confirmed on 13 October 2016, the placement of six Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft with LOT, and options to lease five further aircraft of the same type. Long haul plans saw the addition of further Boeing 787 aircraft, increasing the total to 16. The airline was evaluating the economics of future narrow body and wide body acquisitions to broaden expansion initiatives. The airline's CEO said that they were evaluating the Airbus A220 and Embraer E-Jet-E2 families, as well as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A350 XWB offerings.[35]
On 24 January 2020, the owner of LOT, the Polish Aviation Group (Polska Grupa Lotnicza or PGL) announced that it would acquireCondor Flugdienst.[37] On 2 April 2020 it was announced that the sale had fallen through, with the COVID-19 pandemic being a key factor.[38][39]
The company temporarily suspended operations on 15 March 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic,[40] and domestic Polish flights restarted only on 1 June 2020,[41] while international flights were resumed on a very limited basis from 1 July 2020. LOT Polish Airlines recorded a net loss of US$365.2 million in 2020, with a loss in sales of $138.1 million.[42]
The airline posted a gross profit of $28 million for 2022, and a net profit of $276 million for 2023.[43]
In February 2025, LOT announced it would end long-haul operations fromBudapest,Hungary, from where it served a single route toSeoul by March 2025. This leaves all of their long-haul operations at Polish airports.[44]
In June 2025, LOT received the title of the best airline inEastern Europe according to theSkytrax ranking.[45]
The company set a new all-time record by serving 1,185,946 passengers in a single month in July 2025.[46]
In July 2025, LOT announced that it plans on resuming flights toKyiv andLviv,Ukraine, within six weeks after a ceasefire and once Ukrainian airspace is declared safe. During theRussian invasion of Ukraine, millions of Ukrainian refugees settled in Poland.[47]
In December 2025, information surfaced that LOT was planning on merging with theCzech airlineSmartwings. Ultimately, LOT was beaten in the acquisition by aTurkish charter airline,Pegasus Airlines.[48]
Currently, the airline is wholly owned byPolish Aviation Group (Polish:Polska Grupa Lotnicza S. A.), a Polish state-owned holding company.[49]
LOT was to be privatised in 2011.[50] Although advanced talks were held withTurkish Airlines, a deal failed to materialise. This was largely due to the inability of Turkish Airlines, as a non-EU airline, to buy a majority of the airline.[31] LOT lost 145.5 millionzłoty (PLN) in 2011, compared to a 163.1 million PLN loss in 2010.
LOT saw a return to profitability in 2016, with profits of 183.5 million and more than 280 million PLN respectively.[clarification needed][51] The profits led the then finance ministerMateusz Morawiecki to suggest they were a result of his government's policies. He also accused the previousCivic Platform government of leading the airline to either bankruptcy or "accelerated privatisation".[52]
Nordica - a 49% stake was owned by LOT between 2016 and 2020.
EuroLOT, a formerly wholly owned subsidiary airline, founded on 1 July 1997. The Polish Treasury owned 62.1 percent while LOT retained 37.9 percent. In July 2012 it was confirmed that LOT wished to sell its remaining stake in EuroLOT, as part of its privatization scheme.[54] However, on 6 February 2015, the decision was taken to liquidate the airline and integrate the majority of its fleet into LOT.
Centralwings, a low-cost subsidiary that existed between 2004 and 2009.
On 7 September 2005, the airline reached an agreement for up to 14Boeing 787s for its long-haul operations.[92] On 7 March 2011 Boeing officially notified LOT Polish Airlines that the delivery of the 787 would be delayed for another year. The airline planned to use the 787-8 on its Warsaw-Chicago route on 16 January 2013,[93] but the type was grounded on that same day due to issues with its batteries. On 25 April 2013, LOT announced that it would resume its 787 services on 5 June 2013.[94]
On 4 May 2010, LOT converted four Embraer E175 orders to Embraer E195 orders. The delivery of these aircraft began in March 2011.[citation needed]
Since June 2010, LOT has operated two E175 aircraft for thePolish Ministry of National Defence. These aircraft are used to transport government officials on short and medium-haul flights.[citation needed]
In 2016, the airline signed a contract for eleven leasedBoeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft (six firm commitments and five options), with deliveries starting in late 2017.[95]
In April 2018, LOT announced the lease of three additionalBoeing 787-9 aircraft fromAvolon, bringing the total to 7. The three aircraft were delivered in April, June and October 2019 respectively.[citation needed]
On 8 May 2024, LOT announced it wouldlease three brand-new EmbraerE-195 E2 jets. The first arrived on 31 July 2024.[citation needed]
On 27 March 2025, it was announced that LOT willlease an extra twoBoeing 787-8s from 2026. This will bring LOT's787 fleet to 17 units.[96]
On 16 June 2025, during the 2025Paris Air Show, LOT signed a firm order for 40Airbus A220s to replace its ageingEmbraer E-Jet fleet.[97] 20 orders are for the smaller, A220-100 variant and twenty for the larger, A220-300. Deliveries are set to commence in 2027.[98]
With the delivery of newBoeing 787 aircraft between 2011 and 2012, LOT introduced a new livery. This design was intended to retain the tradition and spirit of LOT with no major or radical changes. The blue nose and broad cheat-line were removed; the 'POLSKIE LINIE LOTNICZE' titles on each aircraft's starboard side were replaced with the words 'POLISH AIRLINES'. The tailplane's design was altered minimally, with the colours of the traditional encircled crane logo being inverted and the circle becoming a simpler outline ring.[99]
SeveralEmbraer aircraft have worn special advertising liveries. OneEmbraer E175, SP-LIM, was repainted as a retrojet, into LOT's 1945 livery, for the airline's 90th anniversary.[100]
Airliners featured all-natural metal silvery color, with a black crane logo on the tail, and a small black inscription: POLSKIE LINIE LOTNICZE „LOT" under or above the window line. Before 1939, there was also a rounded inscription: LOT above passenger doors (apart from the Ju 52, which also differed in having black engine covers and nacelles).[85]
AfterWorld War II, the aircraft mostly wore a similar all-natural metal scheme, with the airline name above the window line.[90] In the late 1940s, thePolish white and red flag was added on a rudder. From the early 1950s, a thin bluecheatline was introduced below the window line, starting with a stylized bird in front.[90] Some aircraft flew in military schemes (green and light blue or olive drab and grey).[90][86]
This livery featured blue mid-level broad cheatline on the window line, with the fuselage a white colour above the cheatline and unpainted below. Early versions of this livery also featured thin blue stripes above and below the cheatline and a white tail, with small black crane logo on the fin and medium-size Polish flag on the rudder.[90] Above the cheatline there was black inscription in italics:POLSKIE LINIE LOTNICZE »LOT«. There was also a long black stylized crane below the cockpit on most aircraft.[90] In the early 1960s, the scheme was modernized and featured the blue cheatline without upper and lower stripes, and a blue tail fin and rudder. The Polish flag was much larger on the tail, while the crane logo was above the flag, on a white circle.[88] There was also another Polish flag on the cheatline, behind the cockpit.[88] On Il-18s and Il-62s, the cheatline was narrower, below the window line.[101][89]
LOT's iconic livery was introduced in 1977 and has undergone no major changes.[101] The livery is essentially a predominantly white scheme with elements of traditional aviation design incorporated. The latter elements were visible in the design of the LOT livery as an area of dark blue under the cockpit windscreen, the long cheat-line painted down the side of the fuselage and the large traditional logo which is emblazoned on the tailplane.
Ilyushin Il-62 aircraft were named afterfamous Poles, with the first namedMikołaj Kopernik.[89] The fiveBoeing 767s LOT ordered fromBoeing were named after Polish cities. This practice, however, was discontinued with the arrival ofBoeing 787s and the introduction of the airline's new livery. Only LOT's sixth 787, SP-LRF, was named 'Franek' after an online vote organised by the airline.[102]
LOT uses the Miles & More frequent-flyer program . Miles & More members can earn miles on LOT flights and Star Alliance partner flights, as well as through LOT credit cards and purchases made through LOT Polish Airlines shops. Status within Miles & More is determined by miles flown during one calendar year with specific partners. Membership levels include Basic (no minimal threshold), Frequent Traveller (Silver, 35,000-mile threshold), Senator (Gold, 100,000-mile threshold), and HON Circle (Black, 600,000-mile threshold over two calendar years). All non-basic Miles & More status levels offer lounge access and executive bonus miles, with the higher levels offering more exclusive benefits.
LOT operates, in cooperation with PPL (Polish State Airports), the 'Polonez' Business Lounge atWarsaw Chopin Airport. The lounge is accessible to anyone with a business class ticket for travel with LOT or any otherStar Alliance member airline, and those who are members of a Star Alliance 'Gold' loyalty program (such as Miles & More Senator status) or the Polish State Airports authority's 'Good Start' program. Some examples of services offered to passengers include business conferencing facilities, internet access, workspace, local, national and foreign-language media (newspapers and television) and individual access to anApple iPad.[103] LOT also opened a Polonez Lounge atBudapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in 2018.
On 1 December 1936, a LOTLockheed Model 10 Electra (registered SP-AYB) hit a tree nearMalakasa in Greece due to fog; a pilot was killed; six people were injured.[105]
On 28 December 1936, a LOT Lockheed Model 10 Electra (registered SP-AYA) crashed nearSusiec in Poland due to icing; two passengers and a mechanic died; three people were injured.[105]
On 11 November 1937, a LOT Lockheed Model 10 Electra (registered SP-AYD) crashed near Warsaw during its landing approach in bad weather, causing the death of four passengers.[105]
On 23 November 1937, a LOTDouglas DC-2-115D (registered SP-ASJ) crashed in Bulgaria'sPirin Mountains in bad weather, killing all six on board. The aircraft was operating a scheduled Thessaloniki-Sofia passenger service.[106]
On 22 July 1938 at 17:38 local time, a LOTLockheed 14H Super Electra (registered SP-BNG) crashed into a hill at Negrilesa, near Stulpicani, Romania, killing all 14 on board; the cause of the crash was unknown, but the aircraft was probably struck by lightning. The aircraft was operating a scheduled Warsaw-Lwów (now Lviv)-Czerniowce (now Chernovtsy)-Bucharest-Thessaloniki passenger service.[107][105]
On 15 November 1951 at approximately 09:00 local time, a LOTLisunov Li-2 (registered SP-LKA)crashed nearTuszyn in bad weather and low visibility conditions, killing all 15 passengers and three crew on board. The aircraft had been on a scheduled flight fromŁódź toKraków.[108]
One passenger died on 19 March 1954, when a LOTLisunov Li-2 (registered SP-LAH) collided with a hill nearGruszowiec following the blackout of a radio navigation beacon.[109]
On 20 August 1965 at 13:08 UTC, another LOT Vickers Viscount (registered SP-LVA) crashed nearJeuk, Belgium, during a thunderstorm on a ferry flight fromLille toWrocław. The aircraft's four occupants were killed.[113]
On 2 April 1969 at 16:08 local time, a LOTAntonov An-24 (registered SP-LTF), crashed intoPolica, a mountain nearZawoja. The aircraft with 48 passengers and five crew on board had been operatingFlight 165 fromWarsaw toKraków when the pilots lost orientation in a snowstorm. There were no survivors.[114]
On 13 May 1977, a LOTAntonov An-12 (registered SP-LZA) operating a cargo flight fromWarsaw toBeirut viaVarna crashed at approximately 08:45 local time nearAramoun, Lebanon, killing all nine people on board, some of whom were agents of the communist Polish secret service. The aircraft had been approachingBeirut International Airport, and the pilots had encountered language difficulties when communicating with the localair traffic controllers. The aircraft was owned by thePolish Air Force and flown by military pilots. It had previously transported weapons for theLebanese Civil War. When it crashed it was carryingveal.[115][116]
On 14 March 1980 at around 11:00 local time,Flight 007 from New York City to Warsaw crashed during a landing attempt at Warsaw-Okecie Airport, killing all 77 passengers and 10 crew members on board theIlyushin Il-62 (registration SP-LAA), including singerAnna Jantar. The pilots had encountered a landing gear problem and began the standardgo-around procedure, during which a shaft in the no. 2 engine disintegrated, damaging the rudder and elevator control lines, and causing the aircraft to enter an uncontrolled dive.[117]
On 26 March 1981, a LOT An-24 (registered SP-LTU) operating Flight 691 crash-landed nearSłupsk after the crew lost situational awareness during a non-precision twin locator approach, killing one passenger. The other 46 passengers and four crew survived, leaving the aircraft through a breach in the fuselage. The fatality was a passenger whose legs were trapped under broken seats and who died in the post-crash fire.[118]
On 9 May 1987 at 11:12 local time,Flight 5055, bound from Warsaw to New York, crashed in the Kabaty forest about 5km fromWarsaw-Okęcie Airport, killing all 172 passengers and 11 crew, making it the deadliest accident in the history of the airline and the country. The aircraft involved was anotherIlyushin Il-62 (registration SP-LBG) whose number-2 (left-side inner) engine exploded, igniting a fire in the cargo hold and irreparably damaging all but one of the aircraft's control systems. The pilots attempted a return toWarsaw-Okęcie, but lost control of the aircraft before it entered a steep nose-dive due to damage to theelevators.[119]
On 2 November 1988,Flight 703 had to execute an emergency landing in a field nearRzeszów following a dual engine failure attributed to icing, killing one passenger. The other 24 passengers and four crew on board the An-24 (registered SP-LTD) survived, though most of them received serious injuries.[120] As of 2025[update], this remains the last fatal crash in Polish commercial aviation. This accident led LOT Polish Airlines to retire theAn-24, replacing them withATR 42s andATR 72s.
On 18 August 1938, a LOTLockheed 14H Super Electra (registered SP-BNJ) was destroyed by a fire in Bucharest after one of its tires burst and the left wing struck the ground.[105]
On 24 July 1940, a LOTLockheed 14H2 Super Electra (registered SP-BPK) was deliberately crashed at Bucharest; the aircraft was sold to LOT on 20 March 1939 and seized by Romania on 2 September 1939 at the outbreak of World War II.[121]
On 15 March 1953, a LOT Douglas DC-3 (registered SP-LCH) crashed nearKatowice.[127]
On 14 April 1955, a Lisunov Li-2 (SP-LAE) crashed near Katowice, with none of the 15 persons on board being killed.[128]
On 11 April 1958, a LOTConvair CV-240 (registered SP-LPB) crash-landed near Warsaw and was damaged beyond repair after it had lost one propeller in mid-flight. There were only four people on board who had operated a training flight with the aircraft; all of them survived.[129]
On 16 December 1963, a Lisunov Li-2T (registered SP-LBG) was damaged beyond repair when it overshot the runway on landing at Warsaw-Okecie Airport. The twelve passengers and three crew on board survived.[130]
On 24 January 1969 at 17:30 local time, a LOTAntonov An-24 (registered SP-LTE) collided with trees during a landing attempt atWrocław in poor visibility conditions, and crashed. The aircraft had been operating Flight 149 from Warsaw with 44 passengers and four crew members on board, all of whom survived.[131]
On 19 April 1973, an Antonov An-24 (registered SP-LTN) crashed during a training flight nearRzeszów.[132]
On 23 January 1980, aTupolev Tu-134 (registered SP-LGB) was damaged beyond repair when it overshot the runway on landing at Warsaw-Okecie Airport and erupted in flames.[133]
On 31 December 1993 at 10:20 local time, aBoeing 767-300ER (registered SP-LPA) operating Flight 2 from Chicago to Warsaw received substantial damage to its nose gear in a hard landing incident atWarsaw Chopin Airport.[134]
On 10 January 2018 aBombardier Dash 8 Q400 (SP-EQG) operating as LO3924 from Krakow to Warsaw reported landing gear issues. Warsaw Chopin Airport was shut down for four hours after an emergency landing there around 19:30 local time with a failed nose gear. There were no reported injuries to the 59 passengers on board.[138]
During theCold War, when Europe was divided by theIron Curtain, several LOT aircraft were hijacked and forced to land in Western countries, predominantly inWest Germany and especially inWest Berlin, due to its proximity. The hijackers were usually not prosecuted there but could claimpolitical asylum, along with all other passengers who wished to do so.
On 16 December of the same year, another aircraft on the same route was hijacked, this time it diverted toBornholm Airport in Denmark. Of the 15 passengers and three crew members on board, 16 decided to claim political asylum.[140]
Another hijacking of a LOT An-24 occurred on 20 November of the same year, this time on a flight fromWrocław toBratislava, when two passengers forced the pilots to land atVienna International Airport.[142]
On 5 June 1970, a LOTAn-24 with 24 people on board was hijacked during a flight fromSzczecin toGdańsk and forced to land atCopenhagen Airport in Denmark, where police forces stormed the aircraft and arrested the perpetrator.[143]
On 9 June 1970, another hijacking attempt occurred on a LOT flight fromKatowice toWarsaw, but the two persons involved were overpowered.[144]
On 7 August 1970, one passenger on board a LOTAn-24 flying fromSzczecin toKatowice forced the pilots to divert to Germany. As he did not specify his demands any further, the aircraft landed atBerlin Schönefeld Airport in East Germany, where he was arrested.[145]
On 19 August 1970, five passengers on board a LOTIlyushin Il-14 en route a scheduled flight from Gdańsk to Warsaw forced the pilots to divert toBornholm Airport in Denmark.[146]
On 26 August 1970, three persons on board a LOTAn-24 on a flight fromKatowice toWarsaw demanded to be taken to Austria. The pilots returned the aircraft toKatowice Airport instead, where the perpetrators were arrested.[147]
On 24 April 1977 another LOT Tu-134 (registered SP-LGA) was hijacked, this time on a flight fromKraków toNuremberg in West Germany. The pilots returned toKraków-Balice Airport, where the aircraft was stormed and the hijacker arrested.[149]
Another hijacking attempt was suppressed on 18 October 1977 on board a LOTAn-24 (registered SP-LTH) en route fromKatowice toWarsaw.[150]
On 30 August 1978,Flight 165 en route from Gdańsk toEast Berlin was hijacked by two East German citizens who forced the pilots to land the Tu-134 involved (registered SP-LGC) atBerlin Tempelhof Airport in West Berlin. Apart from the hijackers, another six people decided to claim political asylum, thus making it one of the largest successful escapes over theBerlin Wall.[151]
SP-LTB was involved in another hijacking attempt on 10 January 1981, when four passengers demanded to be taken to a Western country during a flight fromKatowice toWarsaw. This time, however, the pilots continued toWarsaw-Okęcie Airport where the perpetrators were arrested.[153]
On 5 August 1981, another hijacking attempt occurred on board SP-LTI while it was flying fromKatowice toGdańsk, but the perpetrator was restrained and arrested upon landing atGdańsk Airport.[155]
On 11 August, another hijacking attempt on theKatowice toGdańsk route was foiled, again on an Antonov An-24 (registered SP-LTT).[156]
On 22 August 1981, a hijacker succeeded in his demands that the aircraft involved (anAn-24 registered SP-LTC) be diverted toWest Berlin'sTegel Airport from its original route fromWrocław toWarsaw.[157]
On 18 September 1981 twelve passengers rioted on board anAn-24 (registered SP-LTG) on a flight fromKatowice toWarsaw and demanded the aircraft be diverted toWest Berlin. AMil Mi-8helicopter of the Soviet military attempted to intercept the aircraft before landing atTegel Airport, but failed to do so.[158]
On 22 September four passengers tried to hijack a LOT flight fromWarsaw toKoszalin, but the pilots returned the An-24 (registered SP-LTK) toWarsaw-Okęcie Airport instead, where the perpetrators were arrested.[159]
A week later on 29 September 1981, one hijacker demanded anAntonov An-12 (registered SP-LTP) on a flight fromWarsaw toSzczecin be diverted toWest Berlin; again the pilots landed the aircraft inWarsaw.[160]
On 30 April 1982, eight passengers forced a LOTAn-24 (registered SP-LTG), that was operating a flight fromWrocław to Warsaw, to divert toBerlin-Tegel Airport.[161]
On 9 June 1982, two hijackers on board a LOT flight fromKatowice toWarsaw demanded the pilots to divert toWest Germany. Instead, the aircraft landed in Poland and the perpetrators were arrested.[162]
On 25 February 1993, a man forced his way into a LOTATR 72 (registered SP-LFA) atRzeszów-Jasionka Airport during the boarding process for Flight 702 toWarsaw, threatening to detonate a hand grenade. Polish special forces stormed the aircraft in which there were 30 people at the time. The perpetrator (who proved to be unarmed) was shot at and overpowered.[165]
^Jońca, Adam (1985).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1945–1956, p.12
^abAdam Jońca,Samoloty linii lotniczych 1957–1981, p.2-6
^"Historia Bombardierów Q400" [History of the Bombardier Q400s].LOT (in Polish).Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved15 January 2023.
^abcdefJońca, Adam (1985).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1931–1939, p.13-22(in Polish)
^abJońca, Adam (1985).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1945–1956, p.8
^abJońca, Adam (1985).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1919–1930, p.14-20(in Polish)
^abcJońca, Adam (1985).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1945–1956, p.23-24
^abcAdam Jońca,Samoloty linii lotniczych 1957–1981, p.21-22
^abcdefJońca, Adam (1985).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1945–1956, 4–5
^Jońca, Adam (1985).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1931–1939, p.9(in Polish)
Endres, Günter G. (January 1973). "Airline History No. 29: LOT—Polish Airlines".Air Pictorial. Vol. 35, no. 1. pp. 22–28.
Jońca, Adam (1985).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1919–1930 [Aircraft of airlines 1919–1930]. Barwa w lotnictwie polskim (in Polish). Vol. 2. Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Komunikacji i Łączności.ISBN83-206-0485-0.
—————— (1985).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1931–1939 [Aircraft of airlines 1931–1939]. Barwa w lotnictwie polskim (in Polish). Vol. 3. Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Komunikacji i Łączności.ISBN83-206-0504-0.
—————— (1985).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1945–1956 [Aircraft of airlines 1945–1956]. Barwa w lotnictwie polskim (in Polish). Vol. 4. Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Komunikacji i Łączności.ISBN83-206-0529-6.
—————— (1986).Samoloty linii lotniczych 1957–1981 [Aircraft of airlines 1957–1981]. Barwa w lotnictwie polskim (in Polish). Vol. 5. Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Komunikacji i Łączności.ISBN83-206-0530-X.
Mazur, Wojciech (2016).Samoloty komunikacyjne PLL LOT. Wielki leksykon uzbrojenia. Wrzesień 1939 (in Polish). Vol. tom 81. Warsaw: Edipresse Polska.ISBN978-83-7945-055-8.
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