The first plane of LOT Polish Airlines to Beirut will depart from Warsaw Chopin Airport at 20:30. The flight timetable was planned to ensure convenient transfers for passengers from the whole region of Western and Central-Eastern Europe.
Flights are scheduled four times a week in June, September, and October, and five times a week in July and August. One of the planes operating the route will be Embraer 195, which accommodates from 112 to 118 passengers, depending on the version.
“This destination is extremely important to us. Year by year, we observe increasing trade exchange between Poland, the European Union, and Lebanon. In addition, we see a huge potential in the sales of organised trips. This is confirmed by ticket sales statistics, as around 25 percent of all bookings are group reservations,” says Rafa? Milczarski, CEO, LOT Polish Airlines.
LOT’s relaunched connection is addressed to tourist and business traffic. In comparison to the other countries of the region, Lebanon is characterised by a stable political and economic situation.
“For several years, the number of Poles travelling to Lebanon has been steadily increasing. Only in 2017, it exceeded 4,700 people. Launching a direct connection between our capitals, operated by LOT Polish Airlines, will certainly have a positive impact on reinforcing this trend and increasing the tourist exchange between the countries. Without a doubt Beirut – known as the ‘Paris Of The Middle East’ – will become an even more popular destination,” says Anna Krupka, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Sport and Tourism.
According to official Lebanese data, only in 2018, the Country of Cedars was visited by nearly half a million tourists, which confirms the growing interest in the place.
The estimated time of flight from Warsaw to Beirut is 3 hours 25 minutes and 3 hours 40 minutes from the Beirut to Warsaw. The plane will depart from Warsaw Chopin Airport at 22:30 to arrive in Beirut at 02:55 local time the next day. The flight in the opposite direction will begin at 03:50 local time, with the estimated time of arrival at 06:30 at Warsaw Chopin Airport. The timetable was designed in such a way to allow for a convenient time of transfer in Warsaw on the way to airports in Western Europe, Northern Europe, and the Balkans.
LOT sees an opportunity in the fact that the current offer of flights to Lebanon of from Central and Eastern Europe is limited.
“We see a large potential in ethnic traffic between Scandinavia and Germany, and Lebanon. The traffic comes both from Scandinavia and Germany to Lebanon and from Lebanon to Germany and Scandinavia. Thanks to the extension of LOT’s flight network to Germany and Scandinavia in the years 2016-2018 (new connections to Berlin, Billund, Hanover, Nuremberg, Oslo, and Stuttgart) and Warsaw’s geographical location, Warsaw Chopin Airport is an excellent transfer point for passengers travelling from/to Beirut,” adds Rafa? Milczarski.
LOT Polish Airlines are currently the fastest growing airline in Central and Eastern Europe and it continues to expand its fleet. Last year, LOT carried a record number of over 8.9 million passengers, i.e. 2 million more in comparison to the preceding year. The carrier offers 111 scheduled flights on three continents.
Warsaw, 14 June 2019
