LOT Polish Airlines, Poland’s national airline, has announced that it will add new flights to the Israeli city of Tel Aviv this month following the popularity of existing connections.

From 10 March the airline will begin operating a direct connection from the city of Rzeszów, south-eastern Poland. In addition, the number of flights between Warsaw and Tel Aviv will be increased.

The airline wrote: “Recently established flights to Tel Aviv from Wrocław, Gdansk, Poznan and Lublin, launched in June last year, have proven very popular among Polish passengers, and Israel has become one of the most frequently visited destinations among those offered by LOT.”

Last year LOT carried almost 200,000 passengers between Poland and Israel, more than double the number carried in 2016. The service has been in high demand, and flights between Warsaw and Israel have operated at 80 percent capacity.

LOT Polish Airlines went through a period of financial difficulty and required state aid in 2012, subsequently undergoing restructuring. Due to EU rules on state aid, the airline was temporarily prevented from opening new routes.

The airline returned to profit and was able to add 27 new routes in 2017. It carried 6.8 million passengers last year and expects to increase this to over 10 million by 2020. (sl/vb)

Source: PAP