LOT chooses Airbus and goes with the A220

Circulating rumours confirmed, LOT orders Airbus for the first time.

LOT orders both the A220-100 variant and the A220-300 (Picture Airbus)

An Airbus Regional Fleet

LOT Polish Airlines, the national Polish carrier just placed a firm order with Airbus for a total of 40 Airbus A220s with a possible massive increase (options) to 84 A220s. The order comprises of 20 frames of the smaller A220-100 and 20 frames of its bigger sibling the A220-300. The A220 is a very well-appreciated aircraft by passengers, and the usual 2-3 configuration is just remarkably comfortable.

The A220 has a rare 2-3 configuration. (Picture: Air Canada)

Previous reports indicated that the Star Alliance airline was faced with either expanding its next-gen Embraer E2 subfleet of 3 frames or switch to the larger Canadian-designed Airbus A220. It is apparent now that the airline decided for the latter option. While the E2 is also a great aircraft, it just seems like it wasn’t the right fit for LOT judging by this significant development. Indeed, LOT is a historical Embraer & Boeing operator, shifting their vision towards Airbus must mean the E2 didn’t perform well in their markets. I can’t help but wonder if the E2s are going to be prematurely retired.

LOT originally added 3 Embraer E2s which it currently operates. (Picture: Embraer)

Conclusion

LOT chooses to order with Airbus instead of Embraer, marking an important change in strategy and vision. The airline seems to see the A220 as a better option than what Embraer has to offer for their markets; ordering a total of 40 A220s with a massive options potential of 46 additional A220s.