Poland's national airline LOT welcomed its first Boeing 787 Dreamliner into its fleet this week, becoming the first European carrier to get the U.S. aircraft maker's newest plane.
The plane has been hailed for a state-of-the art design that makes it more fuel efficient and comfortable for passengers than an earlier generation of aircraft, and many in this ex-communist country celebrated its arrival as a symbolic step in the country's speedy economic and technological development. LOT has ordered eight in total, with the next four due to be delivered early next year.
Plans for the plane to land in Warsaw escorted by F-16 fighter jets were scrapped due to heavy fog. But the weather didn't stop people from gathering near Warsaw's international airport to get a glimpse of the jet.
Now it remains to be seen whether the upgrade to LOT's fleet will strengthen the business position of the struggling state-run company. LOT lost money last year, partly due to the high cost of fuel worldwide.
Turkish Airlines had considered buying LOT but earlier this year decided against such a step.
Having Dreamliners before other European airlines could help Warsaw become a regional transit hub for long-range routes to the United States, Canada and China, said Andrzej Halesiak, an economist with Bank Pekao SA in Warsaw who studies the airline industry.
LOT plans to fly its first Boeing 787 on short-haul flights in December in Europe. Early next year it will fly routes between Poland and New York, Chicago and Toronto.
