LOT receives consent to fly over Siberia

The authorities of the Russian Federation have granted LOT Polish Airlines the consent necessary in order to fly over Siberia. The negotiations, which were carried out on behalf of the Polish state by the Ministry of Infrastructure, concluded beneficially for the Polish carrier.

Confirmation that LOT will be able to fly in Russian airspace is one of the key solutions as regards the Polish airline’s preparations to expand into the Far East and is of particular significance in the light of LOT’s plans to launch a route to Beijing in 2012. The possibility of flying over Siberia opens up the shortest air corridor, which will have an impact on a number of factors, including savings in terms of both fuel consumption and flight duration.

LOT Polish Airlines is currently awaiting the decision of the relevant authorities in China in respect of take-off and landing slots at Beijing airport. Flights to the Chinese capital will be introduced into the airline’s reservation system once the slots have been granted. The route will be flown by the LOT fleet of Boeing 767s.

Obtaining consent to fly in Russian territory is also crucial in terms of LOT’s other flights to and from the Federation’s airports. Mention should be made of the fact that LOT has also received favourable landing and take-off times for flights to and from Moscow, enabling the company to introduce highly convenient flight times for the 2011/2012 winter season. In practice, this will mean a change from the six night flights provided by the airline to date, which will be superseded by three early morning flights and three during the course of the day.

Source: LOT Polish Airlines