LOT Polish Airlines

LOT Polish Airlines, legally Polskie Linie Lotnicze LOT S.A. (Polish pronunciation: [lɔt], flight), is the flag carrier of Poland. A founding member of IATA, it is one of the world's oldest airlines still in operation. With a fleet of 90 aircraft as of February 2026, LOT is Europe's 22nd largest operator by the total number of passengers scheduled, serving 97 destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa and North America. 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). LOT officially commenced operations on 1 January 1929.

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, acquiring Douglas DC-2 and Lockheed Electra aircraft, amongst others. The airline moved its operations to the new Warsaw Okęcie Airport (now Warsaw Chopin Airport) in 1934. However, the outbreak 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 a state enterprise, primarily operating Soviet aircraft due to Poland's reemergence as communist 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 aircraft. LOT served routes across Europe, the Middle East, and eventually launched transatlantic flights in the early 1970s.

In the post-1989 era, LOT transitioned to Western aircraft, such as the Boeing 737 and the Boeing 767. The airline joined the Star Alliance in 2003. In 2012, LOT became the first European operator of Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Most of LOT's destinations originate from its hub at Warsaw Chopin Airport.