Our 97th Anniversary

🕗 2 minutes | January 2, 2026

On January 1, we celebrated LOT’s 97th anniversary, making us one of the oldest and most experienced airlines in the world.

On January 1, 1929, 97 years ago, LOT Polish Airlines began its first flights. A few years later, aircraft featuring the distinctive flying crane became one of the most recognizable symbols of Polish aviation—a sign of ambition, courage, and the dream of flying farther.

Today, after nearly a century, we proudly connect Poland and Central and Eastern Europe with the world, reaching over 100 destinations across four continents.

LOT’s first flight schedule was… a sheet of paper with a hand-drawn network of routes. The first fleet numbered just over 20 aircraft and primarily served domestic routes. Yet, already in the 1930s, we were crossing borders—literally and symbolically—by completing pioneering flights across the Atlantic and joining IATA, where we received the LO code, still recognized worldwide today.

Our history also includes pauses and comebacks. The war interrupted our flights, but just six years later, we were airborne again. In the following decades, we expanded our fleet, route network, and standards—welcoming our millionth passenger, launching intercontinental routes, and introducing modern aircraft to the fleet—from the first Boeings, through Dreamliners, to the announced delivery of 40 Airbus A220s in 2025.

97 years is not just about numbers, records, and aircraft. Above all, it is about people—successive generations of employees who, every day, ensure that the crane continues to soar into the sky.

Today, we are part of one of the oldest and most experienced airlines in the world.

✈️ LOT’s first flight schedule was a single sheet of paper with a hand-drawn network of routes, departure times, and aircraft types.

✈️ The flying crane symbol has accompanied us continuously since 1929 and is one of the oldest airline logos in the world.

✈️ Already in the 1930s, LOT completed a pioneering transatlantic flight—long before intercontinental flights became routine.

✈️ In 1994, according to the IATA report, LOT was recognized as the airline with the youngest fleet in the world.

✈️ The longest direct flight in LOT’s history took place in 2014—the Dreamliner covered over 12,000 km to Chile, spending 14.5 hours in the air.

✈️ This record was broken in 2020—the flight from Warsaw to Buenos Aires lasted 14 hours and 55 minutes.

✈️ During the pandemic, as part of the LOTdoDomu program, we operated 388 flights, helping around 54,000 passengers safely return home.

✈️ In 2023, LOT became the punctuality leader in Europe, confirming the highest operational standards.

✈️ In 2025, in the prestigious Skytrax ranking, we were awarded 4-star airline status and named the best airline in Central and Eastern Europe.

✈️ Today, we fly to over 100 destinations on 4 continents, continuing the mission we began 97 years ago. Check out our route network and plan your next journey with us!