LOT cuts routes

As part of repair plan Polish national carrier PLL LOT erased two destinations in its winter schedule – Warsaw-Stuttgart and Warsaw-Tallin, as two least profitable routes in airline's network. Management of LOT Polish Airlines is also planning to introduce new routes for spring – from Warsaw to Belgrade, Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk. However, the final decisions haven't been made yet.
Company's strategy is to maintain the routes, which are being used by businessmen (Warsaw to Stockholm, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna and Brussels), increasing flights frequency during the week, but reducing it on weekends, and replacing bigger planes with smaller machines. It applies to all the routes that noted drop in passengers.
According to Wojciech Kądziołka, LOT's spokesperson, the carrier will also revise its transatlantic operations. “Winter season is usually slow for long-haul flights. Passenger traffic to and from the USA is decreasing, while Canada is gaining popularity due to abolishing of visa requirement”, Kądziołka said during a press briefing last week. However, supplying of first B787 plane delayed until 2010, it significantly affects LOT's results from long-haul operations and its plans.
Carrier's strategy also includes closer cooperation within Star Alliance, primarily with Lufthansa, Continental and SAS, and working on reducing Warsaw's airport fees for domestic and transit passengers. Long-term plan for 2009/2010 includes introducing of charter flights to South America, the Caribbean and the Far East. “These long-haul connections can be performed by B767 planes,” said Kądziołka.