LOT: the first E-Jets

The first E-Jet passenger flight belonged to LOT. On 17 March 2004, E170 SP-LDA flew from Warsaw to Vienna, nine days after reaching Poland from Brazil. Its cabin held 70 passengers. Across the following 22 years, the ten E170s that passed through LOT’s fleet carried 13.8 million people on nearly 300,000 flights. The small aircraft became a familiar part of the airline’s domestic and European operation, working alongside the larger jets that followed it into service.

Individual E170s also acquired identities beyond their registrations. In 2008, SP-LDC promoted Małopolska with a reproduction of Leonardo’s Lady with an Ermine. SP-LDI carried a Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity livery in 2014. SP-LDH advertised the animated film Planes: Fire & Rescue, while SP-LDF carried a Ptasie Mleczko confectionery design. The aircraft connected Polish cities with Europe while taking regional, charitable and commercial campaigns with them.⁷⁴

LOT eventually operated all four members of the original E-Jet family. Their different sizes also answered different airport requirements. Four E190s were acquired specifically for London City, where a short runway and steep approach restricted the range of suitable airliners. The airline fitted them with 106 seats, offered through its business and economy products. This gave the E190 a particular job within the fleet: access to an airport whose location could matter as much to passengers as the fare or flight time.<sup class="citation"><a href="/sources/#source-75">75</a></sup> By May 2024, the relationship with Embraer stretched back 25 years, to the ERJ145 that LOT had received in 1999. Chief executive Michał Fijoł now wanted additional capacity for a growing network, including more frequencies to selected destinations. The answer was a lease of three E195-E2s from Azorra. These aircraft would carry 136 passengers each. Leasing from an established lessor’s orderbook offered LOT a way to obtain the new generation quickly: the first arrival was planned for the end of July, with all three initially due during the third quarter. Familiarity also counted. LOT already had E1 flight crews, and the airline said their transition to the E2 could take only a few days. The new jets would complement larger narrowbodies while giving planners another capacity choice. The transaction combined an immediate timetable need, an available supply of aircraft and the accumulated experience of operating Embraers for two decades.⁷⁶

The arrivals made that plan tangible. SP-LEA reached Warsaw on 31 July and made its first flight in LOT colours to Oslo on 11 August. SP-LEB followed on 19 September and began carrying passengers to Zurich two days later. The third aircraft, SP-LEC, arrived on 12 October. The final arrival slipped into October, beyond the original third-quarter target. LOT now had a small E2 group beside its established first-generation fleet. The aircraft entered an existing European operation whose crews, maintenance staff and passengers already knew the E-Jet cabin and its two seats on each side of the aisle.⁷⁷

Less than a year later, LOT chose another manufacturer for the next large renewal. At the Paris Air Show on 16 June 2025, Airbus announced a firm order for 20 A220-100s and 20 A220-300s, the Polish carrier’s first Airbus order. Deliveries were scheduled to start in 2027, with the aircraft progressively replacing the regional fleet. The agreement allowed a possible increase to 84 aircraft. Choosing both A220 versions preserved a choice of capacities, while committing the airline to a new fleet family. For Embraer, the result was a significant loss at the carrier that had introduced the E170 to paying passengers. The three leased E2s had met a near-term requirement; they had not secured the much larger replacement decision.<sup class="citation"><a href="/sources/#source-78">78</a></sup> Fijoł linked the A220 decision to LOT’s longer-term expansion and its intended role at Poland’s Central Communication Port. In the airline’s own announcement, fleet selection was tied to competing across Europe and strengthening its position in Central and Eastern Europe. The fleet was being selected for the network LOT intended to build around further growth and a new airport.<sup class="citation"><a href="/sources/#source-79">79</a></sup> On 30 October 2026, SP-LDH made LOT’s final E170 passenger rotation: Warsaw–Vienna–Warsaw. Larger Embraers remained in the fleet as the smallest member’s service ended.⁷⁴