Q: The titles of Best Line in CEE, Best Traditional Line and Best Offer in the Business Class in CEE the Polish national carrier LOT has won in league tables for 2008, even though the company was in the process of implementing a recovery programme, prove that its model of “lean” business with no compromise to product standards is convincing. Is there a chance for LOT to escape the global crisis unscathed?

A: The crisis has affected the aviation sector across the world and LOT is no exception. We are conducting intensive activities aimed to cut costs, stimulate sales and ensure higher revenues. We think we will be able to weather the crisis by taking care of our existing clients and attracting new ones. This is why we are competing for the market and putting the passenger at the centre of our interest. We are not bringing product quality down. On the contrary, we are trying to make our products even more attractive and promote them. We have recently introduced four quite new promotional offers targeted at various client groups, including flights to domestic, European and transatlantic destinations. We give priority to the development of sales via the Internet as a channel which is easily accessible, cheap and convenient for clients. For over a year now we have regularly – every second week on a Thursday - offered price promotions available only on the Internet. We also regularly meet with the media and inform the market on a current basis about all novelties and important developments at the company. There is really a lot going on at LOT.

Q: Twenty years since the start of transition LOT is one of the few brands still identified with Poland. And whether the times are good or bad, LOT is a company with a strong corporate culture, highly qualified staff and high-standard services. Will it be possible to retain these values on today’s and future air transport market?
A: The recognition our brand and our services have gained is very valuable to us. The LOT brand is not only associated with Poland but is also regarded as one of the strongest and best brands. Irrespective of the changing trends on the airline passenger market and the popularity of cheap airlines, we try to maintain high standards of services. In the aviation sector, business conditions change cyclically so a period of prosperity will eventually come after the crisis. This is why one must not lower the quality of services and products offered.

No matter what the market conditions are, we try to adhere to our values. LOT is turning 80 this year. We are a national carrier, have a rich history and tradition, and play an important role on the Polish market. But we are also a modern company, one open to new ideas and interesting initiatives. The latest project in which we are taking part combines all these values. On June 4, the anniversary of Poland’s first free election of 1989, a golden plane with 160 people dressed in golden suits on board will depart from Warsaw. At the heart of Europe, in Brussels, this unusual group and our plane will remind the Europeans that the process of change which led to the fall of communism in Central and Eastern Europe had started in Poland. The author of the project is Paweł Althamer, a well-known Polish artist, who focuses in his art on social issues, the meaning of art and interpersonal relations. The people aboard the plane will be Paweł Althamer’s neighbours, residents of Warsaw’s district of Bródno. The title of the project is “Common Issue.” We are working on it with the National Culture Centre, which coordinates the project. This flight is our common issue – us Europeans, Poles, our neighbours, associates, family and friends.

The golden plane will be flying in our fleet for a year reminding the public about the anniversary of the year 1989 and our commitment to this unusual project.