LOT Polish Airlines will significantly reduce its presence across the former Yugoslav markets during the coming winter season, which runs from October 25 until March 27 of next year, operating 40% fewer flights and offering 37.1% fewer seats. The bulk of the reductions will come from suspended routes, although the airline is also cutting frequencies to Serbia and Croatia, with Slovenia the only market bucking the trend.
As previously reported, LOT is converting two routes in the region from year-round to seasonal operations - Podgorica and Sarajevo. Skopje, which was served during parts of the previous winter season, will also not be maintained for its entirety during 2026/27. LOT is reducing frequencies on its Warsaw – Belgrade service as well, with operations to be maintained nine times per week, down from twelve last winter. In Zagreb, flights will operate ten times per week, a reduction from eleven weekly services in November, December and January last year, while frequencies in February and March will remain unchanged at ten per week.
Ljubljana, on the other hand, will be one of the few routes to see an increase in frequencies. Flights will be maintained daily throughout the season, up from six times per week last winter.
Over the past week, LOT has removed around 100 flights per month from its schedule for the duration of the winter season. Frequency reductions have also affected other cities in the wider region, including Budapest, Sofia and Athens, while numerous routes elsewhere in Europe have been impacted, including Rome, Barcelona, Hamburg and Bologna. During the upcoming winter season, LOT will offer 119.420 seats across its three remaining routes in the former Yugoslav markets, down from 163.772 last winter. It will operate a total of 1.144 flights, compared to 1.604 during the previous winter season. Further changes remain possible.
It's going to be a difficult winter for many airlines. Cuts on all sides.
ReplyDeleteI don't get why, did their fuel price moratorium expire so they have to pay full price now?
DeleteNo, cuts will make sure it is NOT a difficult winter
DeleteI think it's not just about fuel but about demand too.
DeleteCuts are introduced because the economy does really well. At least that's what we keep reading on here
Delete^ do we?
DeleteIn the comments yes.
DeleteWell, economy in Poland is doing well, in Serbia and Croatia as well.
DeleteYes but obviously there is less demand for other markets where most transfers used to go.
DeleteI don't think it's demand per se, all of these flights were packed because of transfer options either to North America or within Europe with a small cut of P2P as well. It's just that other destinations might have a higher yield in hard times.
Delete^ they are cutting frequencies to the likes of Rome, Barcelona and Athens too.
DeleteEconomy in Germany and here in Austria is crap for years now.
DeleteWould it make any sense for JU to launch Warsaw? I remember reading maybe 2 years ago an interview with the CEO where he said they will eventually return to Warsaw. Could this be the right opportunity?
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is a whole lot of P2P demand between Belgrade and Warsaw. Most of LOT's Belgrade passengers are transfers. The question is, does JU have the right transfer network for passengers from Warsaw.
DeleteThey said they would return in partnership with LO, so JU is probably demanding interline/codeshare.
DeleteUnlike MUC, there’s no huge p2p demand to WAW, so relying only on transfers via BEG could be risky.
JU should start Wroclaw and Gdansk for own transfers
DeleteWroclaw could go with ATR, and Gdansk with E195. It could be good, I would love to visit both cities for short city break.
DeleteGood news for Ljubljana at least
ReplyDeleteAir Baltic suspending Riga and Lufthansa Munich probably helps.
DeleteBT is also reducing Tenerife
Delete^ that's completely irrelevant to LOT.
DeleteBT is reducing Ljubljana from 1 pw to what ?
DeleteProbably was ment Tenerife from 2 published (March 24, https://company.airbaltic.com/en/newsroom) to 1 weekly.
DeleteIt was never scheduled as more than 1 weekly
DeleteYes, it was never scheduled more than once, but the announcement from Air Baltic was for twice. There is no harm in asking.
DeleteWinter is coming!
ReplyDeleteBrr
DeleteIt's coming every year.
DeleteIt's a Game of Thrones reference.
DeleteDemand all across is softer this winter, the economy is struggling big time
ReplyDeleteIf this were any ex-Yu airline cutting routes like Athens, Rome and Barcelona, people here would claim they are failures of airlines. When LOT does it, it's about demand, the economy and the right choice.
ReplyDeleteTrue. Lots of double standards.
Deleteis Wizz the only airline that respects this region and expands like crazy?
ReplyDeleteWizz has cut a whole lot of routes over the years and are also cutting a lot of routes elsewhere this winter. They are getting paid on almost all new routes in ex-Yu which is why you might not see them cut in the first year of these subsidies.
DeleteYeah, the same amount of respect as they had for Abu Dhabi.
DeleteWhat has AUH got to do with our region? Completely different market dynamics.
DeleteSo it's market dynamics not respect
DeleteHow did LOT perform in the first half of the year? Were they profitable?
ReplyDeleteThey have not reported their financial results yet.
DeleteThat's a lot
ReplyDeleteThey will cut the rest when they retire Ejets and introduce A220. With them, hub and spoke model is finished
DeleteNot really surprising. LOT has been expanding very aggressively in recent years and at some point they had to consolidate. Winter is always the easiest period to cut weaker routes.
ReplyDeleteA 37% reduction in seats across the region is quite significant. This is much more than just some minor seasonal adjustment.
DeleteWhy fly half empty planes, they are not OU
DeleteGoal should not be to cut 40% so they don't fly empty planes, goal for LOT and others is to put more passengers in seats and fly almost full planes. That's what LOT is not able to do.
DeleteWould be nice if Wizz can serve Skopje and Chopin for this winter cut period ...
ReplyDeleteAnd would be great to serve SKP and JFK
DeleteSarajevo losing another year-round airline operation is disappointing. First Ryanair suspending for winter and now LOT making Warsaw seasonal.
ReplyDeleteLOT probably needs the aircraft elsewhere or is trying to improve profitability. There is no point flying marginal routes throughout winter just for the sake of network size.
ReplyDeleteWell the article says they are reducing destinations like Barcelona, Skopje, Athens...which are hardly marginal. This has to do with overall weaker demand.
DeleteDa ne svane zora kada su bude RYR pravio od blata?
ReplyDeleteWell they are saying the worst is yet to come. EU gas storages are at around 50% and LNG is being redirected towards Asia. Another round of inflation is expected which will impact demand for air travel.
ReplyDeleteCuts by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, airBaltic, LOT ... are just a sign of what's to come. I expect more cuts in the coming weeks as advance bookings take a hit.
Es no bueno muchachos.
True unfortunately. Though times ahead.
DeleteI like the vintage livery
ReplyDeleteHopefully Sarajevo and Podgorica return as planned next summer and don't gradually become routes that disappear altogether. We've seen that happen before with supposedly "seasonal" changes.
ReplyDeleteWith only three routes left during winter, LOT's regional footprint will become surprisingly small considering how visible the airline was here just a few years ago.
ReplyDeleteThose were the COVID times and LOT was flying more leisure routes just to have some cashflow and crew flying hours. Back then they were flying to Croatia also from the regional airports.
DeleteYes, they flew to many coastal airports in Croatia.
DeleteOne out of four LOT crew have resigned lately. There is more to this than just fuel costs. LOT don’t have suitable aircraft for some routes anymore. You can’t run TGD on a
ReplyDeleteMAX. It was at best a 175 over winter and usually a 170.
All six 738 are being returned to their lessor as are all the 170, and I assume LIQ/P which are pieces of cr*p.
wow I was not aware that they are returning the E170s
DeleteWhy are the crew leaving?
DeleteBecause they are delighted about salaries and working conditions?
DeleteThe 170 are well over 20 years old.
DeleteIn my opinion the MAX has been a curse for the routes they fly. In winter they’re head to head with Enter. There isn’t enough charter business to go around.
It will become a lot worse when they receive A220 instead E170/75/90/95
DeleteQuite a dramatic reduction when you look at the percentage. Losing 40% of flights in one winter is definitely noticeable.
ReplyDeleteI think LOT expanded a bit too quickly in this part of Europe and is now concentrating on routes that actually make money year-round.
ReplyDeleteThis winter is shaping up to be quite difficult
ReplyDeleteLjubljana seems to be one of the few markets where traditional network carriers still see room for incremental growth.
ReplyDeleteBecause there is little competition, especially from LCCs.
DeleteThe reductions might actually improve load factors and yields, which could make these routes more sustainable in the longer term.
ReplyDeleteLOT has historically been quite flexible with its schedules. Shame
ReplyDeleteSarajevo and Skopje need stronger local corporate demand if they want more year-round network carrier frequencies. Tourism alone won't sustain everything through winter.
ReplyDeleteLOT has seen great growth in LJU so far this year. The passenger numbers are as follows:
ReplyDeleteJan.26 3028 + 12,4 % + 335
Feb.26 3701 + 39,6 % + 1049
Mar.26 4412 + 10,5 % + 420
Apr.26 6232 + 13,7 % + 752
May.26 8203 + 9,5 % + 714
Jun.26 6820 + 2,1 % + 140