The CEO of PLL LOT announces a key change. It is due to the selection of new aircraft

• Work on updating the strategy will soon begin at PLL LOT, announces the president of the national carrier, Michał Fijoł, who was a guest at the 17th European Economic Congress in Katowice .
• He adds that the update of the strategy will be influenced by the key decision regarding the selection of the supplier of new aircraft to LOT.
• Expenditures for the purchase of new regional aircraft will amount to "several billion zlotys".

The president of the national carrier confirms that work will soon begin on updating the most important document in the company . Their date will be closely linked to the date of the decision regarding the supplier of new aircraft to LOT.

Brazilian Embraer or European Airbus? "Several Billion Zlotys" on the Table

- A large part of this update will depend on the choice made in terms of the regional fleet. We will face different challenges if we continue to cooperate with the current supplier of the regional fleet, and we will have to plan our development path slightly differently if a European competitor makes a more attractive offer - explains Michał Fijoł.

The regional fleet is an extremely important part of the LOT Polish Airlines fleet.

- We need these smaller planes that take passengers to the hub. At the moment, LOT has almost 50 planes from the regional fleet. The planned purchase includes 84 such planes. This is a process that will be phased over years : the first deliveries will take place in 2027, and the last when we enter the new, central airport - he adds.

Expenditures for the purchase of new regional aircraft will amount to "several billion zlotys".

Chinese Rescue for LOT? The Carrier's CEO Has His Own Plan

We also asked the airline's CEO to what extent the current situation - resulting from the introduction of mutual customs duties between Asian countries and the United States - makes it easier for LOT Polish Airlines to search for aircraft available on the market.

LOT, so far, has been acquiring mostly new planes. Last year, the carrier's fleet expanded by 11 planes , three of which were modern second-generation Embraers straight from the factory in Brazil. Of the seven MAXs that joined LOT Polish Airlines last year, three were completely new from the factory in Seattle. To sum up: out of eleven, six were new planes.

- We are actively acquiring aircraft from the market. We do not waste any opportunity. Several times we have reached for aircraft that were previously used by airlines that had financial problems. This is opportunistic activity. However, with the current "Chinese" events, we perceive this situation a bit differently . We are dealing with aircraft that are completely new and prepared for large, Chinese airlines. Currently, it is a matter of assessing how short-term the current situation is . At the moment, LOT, in the perspective of a dozen or so months, has no need to acquire additional medium-range aircraft, i.e. Boeing 737 MAX - responds President Fijoł, explaining that this is mainly due to previously placed orders for new Boeings for LOT.