Polish flag carrier LOT is emerging as the leading contender to acquire Smartwings, the Czech Republic’s largest airline, in a move seen as pivotal to strengthening its regional dominance ahead of Poland’s planned new air hub.
According to Dziennik Gazeta Prawna, LOT is now the frontrunner in the bidding process for Smartwings, a subsidiary of Czech Airlines. The remaining bidders — Germany’s Discovery Airlines and the German-Turkish carrier SunExpress — are viewed as unlikely to secure EU anti-trust approval because their ownership ties to Lufthansa could distort competition.
The acquisition is widely regarded as a strategic step for LOT as Poland advances its plans for the Central Communication Port (CPK), a major air–rail–road hub scheduled to open in 2032. Designed around what is expected to become one of Europe’s largest airports, CPK is intended to reshape travel across Central Europe and solidify LOT’s long-term ambitions to become the region’s key aviation player.
While both LOT and Poland’s Ministry of Infrastructure declined to comment, ministry sources told DGP that a deal could be finalised before the end of 2025. The value of the potential acquisition has not been disclosed.
LOT is coming off a record year: in 2024, the airline reported a net profit of 688.5 million z?oty (€162.7 million) on revenues of 9.93 billion z?oty (€2.35 billion), carrying an all-time high of 10.7 million passengers.
Source: TVP World
This post was published on 3 December 2025 16:37
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