The first post-war international service departed Warsaw for Paris on 4 July 1946, followed by Stockholm on 9 July and Prague on 7 August. The launch of these routes marked a significant milestone in rebuilding Poland’s international air links after the Second World War and helped reconnect the country with the rest of Europe.
At the time, air travel was a luxury available to only a small number of passengers. Tickets were handwritten, reservations and check-in were handled manually, and passengers boarded aircraft directly from the apron. Flight attendants had only recently been introduced by the airline, replacing flight engineers who had previously looked after passengers during flights.
LOT’s international services in the late 1940s were mainly operated by Douglas DC-3 aircraft and their Soviet-built Lisunov Li-2 counterparts. Many of the DC-3s had originally served as military C-47 transport aircraft before being converted into passenger airliners with seating for just 20 or 21 travellers. Cruising at around 300 km/h and flying at lower altitudes than modern jet aircraft, flights were considerably longer and more susceptible to weather-related turbulence.
Eight decades later, the same destinations remain key pillars of LOT’s European network. The airline now operates up to 33 weekly flights to Prague and up to 21 weekly services each to Paris and Stockholm, offering a combined total of up to 75 flights per week from Warsaw. Modern Embraer regional jets and Boeing 737 aircraft have replaced the piston-powered airliners of the 1940s, providing faster, quieter and more comfortable journeys, while also offering convenient onward connections through Warsaw Chopin Airport.
LOT said the anniversary highlights not only the remarkable evolution of commercial aviation over the past 80 years, but also the airline’s enduring mission of connecting Poland with Europe and the wider world.