LOT Polish Airlines entered India in September 2019 with nonstop flights between Delhi and Warsaw giving Indian travellers access to Central and Eastern Europe. Amit Ray, Director India, DACH Markets and Italy, and Head of Global Corporate and Strategic Sales, LOT Polish Airlines, shares the latest insights on the airline and its India operations.
– Prashant Nayak
LOT Polish Airlines has scaled up its frequencies to key markets worldwide post-pandemic. As far as India is concerned, it remains an important market for the airline and now operates seven weekly nonstop flights from India to their global hub in Warsaw: from Delhi every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday; and from Mumbai every Sunday and Wednesday. “We imposed strong faith and always believed in the Indian market, even pre-pandemic. Today, we proudly proclaim the creation of a success story by contributing to the enormous upswing in air traffic to and from India. The country has immense potential and is decisively considered to be a very important strategic market for LOT Polish Airlines, and we certainly aspire to further strengthen our position and cooperate with Indian carriers here,” shares Amit.
Amit believes that the Indian aviation market has enough space and potential for multiple airlines to co-exist and proliferate. He says, “Our philosophy is, if you do something, do it properly, diligently, and with sincerity. India is one of the biggest and most dynamic aviation markets in the world. So first and foremost, there is plenty of room for a number of airlines and varied business models. As mentioned before, LOT Polish Airlines is an independent carrier from Central Europe with global outreach. It made its way to India and successfully positioned itself by carefully meeting customers’ expectations, providing reliable services, and offering a huge network. It eases travel for fliers as guests from India can travel to many places across Europe and North America via our Warsaw hub, which allows fast and seamless one-terminal connectivity.”
The growth and sustainability of the aviation industry world over, including India, have been impacted band challenged by factors more than one. Limitations on infrastructure, shortage of skilled resources, security concerns, and impact on the environment are some of the leading concerns. LOT Polish Airlines strives hard to be ready and conditioned for unprecedented challenges. This includes a commercially viable business model, a contemporary product that features smooth ground and onboard experience for guests, a well-developed route network by way of their hub and spoke strategy, being a Star Alliance member since 2003, and providing frequent flyers thoughtful and meaningful value additions.
On all their flights operated from and to India, the airline deploys its flagship aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, one of the best and most contemporary in the world, featuring three classes of service: LOT Economy Class, LOT Premium Economy Class, and LOT Business Class with competitive fares. On the culinary side, they serve Indian food catered by well-known TajSATS ex-India and by premium airline catering provider Do and Co ex-Poland. Indian movies and music are presented as part of their inflight entertainment.
“We strive to provide a pleasant and memorable experience for our guests. And India remains a very good example. Beyond that, we are offering our guests from India fast and seamless connecting flights to many popular destinations in Europe and North America via our hub in Warsaw. Furthermore, it is worth highlighting that LOT Polish Airlines has been repeatedly recognised as one of the most punctual airlines. Additionally, on intra-European flights, LOT Polish Airlines provides complimentary tea, coffee, water, and a small snack for passengers seated in Economy Class,” informs Amit.
Speaking about their strategy to attract a higher number of frequent flyers, Amit shares, “Like in the past, we seek to create a pleasant experience for our guests, be it the first-time flyer or a frequent traveller. We are ready to traverse that extra mile and offer our guests the well-deserved hospitality they are looking for. LOT Polish Airlines is a fully integrated member of the Miles & More frequent flyer programme and provides Star Alliance benefits. With Star Alliance Gold status, one can enjoy more lounges than any other alliance and is privileged to bring a guest along. Whether it’s great food and refreshments or a place to work or relax, one can experience it in the lounges. The loyalty as a frequent flyer to the Star Alliance network by way of Gold Status provides recognition across the entire network with a special welcome and a set of privileges that will make the journey smoother and more comfortable.”
Post-pandemic, LOT Polish Airlines continues its well-conceived growth plans. To summarise, Amit says, “In 2022, LOT operated more than 85,000 flights carrying almost 8 million passengers. By 2030, we look forward to doubling those numbers. This growth can be fructified only with an increased fleet size and here we will continue to invest in modern, fuel-efficient aircraft to operate long-haul, medium-haul, and short-haul flights.”
