| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 26/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 24 |
| Copyright: Other |
Heathrow-Warsaw route
LOT Polish Airlines to bolster capacity on key winter service
Report by PAUL NORRIS
LOT POLISH Airlines is planning to increase capacity on its key Heathrow-Warsaw service this coming winter.Flights are expected to increase to four a day from three on November 1. LOT also shares British Airways’ double daily flights.
The combination of LOT’s extra capacity and the BA services will give passengers six daily services.
Sales and marketing manager Waldemar Machalowski said the increase in flights is a result of heavy demand.
If LOT cannot find the extra capacity, due to slot constraints at Heathrow, it will look to launch Warsaw flights from Gatwick for the first time.
Currently the airline only serves Polish cities Cracow and Gdansk from Gatwick. These two predominantly leisure destinations are also in line for more flights over the next year.
Manchester services to Warsaw, also flown with BA, stay at six a week.
Machalowski said he intended to try and maintain co-operation with BA to Warsaw despite being in the Swissair-led Qualiflyer alliance. LOT surprised BA by rejecting its offer to take a stake in the Polish flag carrier in favour of Swissair last year.
The LOT/BA flights feed into Warsaw’s hub system which connect to the Qualiflyer network of central and eastern European services. BA had seen LOT as its partner for these services within the Oneworld alliance.
“Swissair does accept what we have with BA. Both sides are flexible, because of the advantages of the relationships,” said Machalowski.
He takes over from Andrzej Rode, who returns to LOT’s head office, as UK and Ireland general manager next month. His key role in the UK market will be the inclusion of the Polish airline’s sales and marketing initiatives into the Qualiflyer group, while also trying to enhance agreements with BA.