A LOT of restructuring

As part of its restructuring plan, Polish national carrier PLL LOT had dropped two routes from its winter schedule - Warsaw-Stuttgart and Warsaw-Tallin. These were, according to the airline, the least profitable routes in its portfolio.

LOT's management is also planning to introduce new routes in the spring - from Warsaw to Belgrade, Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk. Final decisions have not been made in this matter, however. 

LOT's strategy is to maintain routes commonly used for business purposes (Warsaw to Stockholm, London, Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna and Brussels), increasing the frequency of flights during the week, but reducing frequency on weekends and using smaller planes.

According to Wojciech Kądziołka, spokesperson for LOT, the carrier will also revise its transatlantic operations. "The winter season is usually slow for long-haul flights. Passenger traffic to and from the US is decreasing, while Canada is gaining popularity due to [its] abolishing of visa requirements [for Poles]," Kądziołka said during a press briefing last week.

The company is finding it difficult to make plans for its long-haul operations since its order for eight B787 planes has been delayed due to problems at Boeing. LOT was supposed to have gotten the first plane already, but it is now expected in 2010.

The carrier's strategy also includes closer cooperation within Star Alliance, primarily with Lufthansa, Continental and SAS, and working on reducing Warsaw's airport fees for domestic and transit passengers. Long-term plans include the introduction of charter flights to South America, the Caribbean and the Far East.