Passengers flying with LOT Polish Airlines faced a rough start to 14 October as at least 13 domestic and European services were cancelled before midday, according to real-time statistics compiled by AirHelp. Affected routes included Warsaw–Košice (LO 511), Riga–Warsaw, Wrocław–Warsaw and several feeder legs feeding the carrier’s lunchtime long-haul bank. LOT blamed a ‘knock-on operational constraint’ originating from overnight aircraft-rotation issues and a weather-related slot restriction over central Germany. Industry observers noted that a single Dreamliner undergoing unscheduled maintenance removed slack from the short-haul fleet, leaving the carrier with few spare Embraer jets to cover early rotations. For mobility managers the disruption is significant: Košice is a popular gateway for executives travelling on to automotive suppliers in eastern Slovakia, while Riga feeds Nordic IT hubs. Re-booking options were limited because rival carriers have cut frequency for the autumn shoulder season. Travellers were advised to request involuntary rerouting under EU261 or switch to overnight PKP Intercity rail for domestic links. AirHelp data show LOT’s on-time performance over the last 24 hours at 76 %, down from its usual 85 %. Experts predict a return to normal schedules by 15 October but caution that crew-duty time rules could still force evening cancellations if aircraft are not repositioned efficiently.
Source: AirHelp live cancellations feed
