LOT Polish Airlines is part of Embraer’s history. It was the Polish carrier that debuted the first E-Jet in the world, an E170 received in 2004. Since then, more than 1,700 of them have been delivered in the world, making the Brazilian manufacturer a reference in the segment.
Almost two decades later, Embraer jets continue to be fundamental for LOT to the point that the company has expanded its fleet, which includes all 1st generation versions.
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At the end of last month, for example, LOT put into service the 12th E175 in its fleet, an aircraft that flew in Italy and was leased by Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC).
With that, there are 41 Brazilian jets in its fleet – six E170, 12 E175, eight E190 and 15 E195. Of these, eight aircraft were incorporated from 2021 to now, an expansion of 24%.
LOT still has two E175s that are at the service of the Polish government, but it has also transferred four of these planes to Air Canada in the past.
The situation, however, has changed. The Polish flag carrier has focused on meeting the growing demand for routes in Europe and the E-Jets have proven to be crucial due to their capacity, which allows them to serve a variety of destinations.
As a result, the company is withdrawing its Dash 8-400 turboprops from service, from which it operated 12 planes.
To reinforce the fleet, an E175, an E190 and six Boeing 737 MAX 8, recently leased from Air Lease Corporation and which were associated with Blue Air, a Romanian company that closed its doors, should still arrive.
Between the E2 and the A220
While managing to expand its capacity with second-hand aircraft, LOT continues to analyze proposals for new jets for up to 150 seats. Airbus is offering the A220 while Embraer tries to sign up for the new E2 family, but a decision has yet to be announced.
