LOT Polish Airlines will add two used Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners from Virgin Atlantic during the first half of 2027, expanding its long-haul fleet ahead of the summer peak.
LOT CEO Fijo? told Polish aviation publication Rynek Lotniczy that the aircraft should join LOT in time for its widebody fleet to reach 19 aircraft for the 2027 high season.
LOT currently operates eight 787-8s and seven 787-9s. Two additional Dreamliners sourced from Thai Airways are due to arrive before the end of 2026, followed by the two former Virgin Atlantic aircraft in 2027.
The Virgin aircraft will receive refreshed interiors before entering service, but Fijo? said they would not undergo a complete cabin reconfiguration. This distinction is important because Virgin’s current 787-9 layout differs considerably from LOT’s:
| Airline | Business | Premium Economy | Economy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virgin Atlantic | 31 | 35 | 192* |
| LOT | 24 | 21 | 249 |
| Total | 258 | 294 |
*Including Virgin’s extra-legroom Economy Delight seats.
It is therefore not yet clear whether the aircraft will retain Virgin’s lower-density, premium-heavy layout temporarily or receive more substantial modifications at a later stage. Both airlines use Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-powered Dreamliners, which should simplify their technical introduction.
Virgin Atlantic had already announced plans to reduce its 787-9 fleet from 17 to 14 aircraft by early 2028 as additional Airbus A330-900neos arrive. The two aircraft going to LOT account for part of that reduction; the fate of the third departing Dreamliner has not been publicly identified.
Virgin is not abandoning the 787. It plans to retain 14 aircraft and completely redesign their cabins from 2028, increasing them to 44 Upper Class and 56 Premium seats. Its future fleet is planned to comprise 19 A330neos, 12 A350-1000s and 14 787-9s.
Neither airline has identified the two airframes, and their registrations, ownership arrangements and precise delivery dates remain unknown. Reports describing the transaction specifically as a “sale” therefore go slightly beyond what LOT has publicly confirmed.
Sources: Rynek Lotniczy, Virgin Atlantic fleet refurbishment plan.
This post was published on 2 September 2026 23:21
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