First Boeing 737 MAX 8 For LOT Already On The Production Line

Warsaw, 27 October 2017 – The first Boeing 737 MAX 8, the world’s state-of-the-art narrow-body aircraft, ordered by LOT is already on the production line in Renton factory, USA. The aircraft will fly to Warsaw in early December this year. In total, by May 2019 LOT will have received six airplanes type, which will be used to operate the most popular short- and medium-haul routes of the Polish carrier, including flights to London, Madrid and Tel Aviv

The first Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft will operate the popular Warsaw–London route from early December. The second one will land in Warsaw later this year, and will start operating flights to London and Madrid, among others, in early January 2018. Three more will be delivered to Warsaw from the Boeing factory in Renton in 2018. The delivery of the sixth one has been scheduled for May 2019.

According to the manufacturer, the MAX is much quieter, more efficient and environmentally friendly than any other aircraft of this class available on the market. A new type of wingtip devices and next-generation engines allow for a 15% reduction in fuel consumption compared with B737 NG, a noise reduction of up to 40% compared with other machines of this class, and a significant reduction of CO2 emission.

In 2012, as the first airline in Europe, LOT brought into service the state-of-the-art wide-body aircraft – the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which today constitute the core of the fleet and the driving force behind the development of new long-distance flights. Now as the first traditional carrier in the region it will use the Boeing 737 MAX 8 to operate popular short- and medium-haul routes.

“No other aircraft of this class can provide such comfort to our passenger, and at the same time offer such cost-effectiveness and operational efficiency. Thanks to the technology which enables noise reduction and lower fuel consumption, we will become even more eco-friendly and efficient, which means that we will also be able to offer even better ticket prices to our passengers. For short- and medium-distance flights, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 is what our flagship Dreamliner is for long-distance flights,” says Adrian Kubicki, Director of LOT Corporate Communications.

The Boeing 737 MAX 8 machines under the LOT brand will have 186 comfortable seats in three travel classes: Business, Premium Economy and Economy. All seats feature conveniently placed electric sockets.The interior of the passenger cabin will be feature the Boeing Sky Interior, which is based on the solutions used in the Dreamliner. The cabin will boast new, ergonomic luggage compartments and LED lighting. The manufacturer has also arranged lights, speakers and buttons in a way which is more comfortable for passengers. The galley will be equipped with convection ovens, refrigerators and a coffee machine, among other things, which will render it possible to prepare dishes and beverages of higher quality.

In total, by the end of 2019, thanks to the co-operation with Air Lease Corporation (ALC), LOT will obtain as many as six airplanes of this type, which will operate the most popular routes of the Polish carrier. Apart from London and Madrid, the MAX aircraft will also fly to destinations such as Tel Aviv, Frankfurt, Vienna and Barcelona, Kiev, Amsterdam and Astana.

The B737 MAX 8 will complement the fleet of popular machines from the 737 family under the LOT brand, which consists of three retrofitted B747-400 aircraft, as well as four Boeing 737-800 NG airplanes which were added to the network of the Polish carrier in the summer season of this year.

A standardized fleet of aircraft produced by one manufacturer will allow to further reduce costs of technical service, obtaining crews, and others. Pilot training in operation of individual B737 models takes no more than a few days, which is why the new machine will be able to serve regular routes almost immediately after delivery.

Ordering new narrow-body aircraft is part of LOT’s profitable growth strategy which the airlines have been implementing since early 2016. Since the beginning of this year, LOT has announced the launch of 19 routes, including from Warsaw to Los Angeles, Newark and Astana, and from Kraków to Chicago. Last year, it began flying on 23 routes, e.g. to Tokyo and Seoul.