LOT Polish Airlines recently celebrated its 94th birthday, having come into existence on December 29th, 1928. In the Polish flag carrier's early years, it flew propeller-driven aircraft from manufacturers such as Junkers and Fokker. Even with the advent of jetliners, LOT continued to fly propeller planes on its regional routes, but it has now transitioned to an all-jet fleet following its last Dash 8 flight.

The end of an era

The fleet of LOT Polish Airlines is presently undergoing something of a transition. As Air Data News reported last month, the Polish flag carrier is facing growing demand on its European routes, which has seen it favor larger Embraer jet aircraft when it comes to regional operations. This has spelled the end for its De Havilland Canada DHC-8-Q400 turboprops, which recently operated their last LOT flights.

Data from ch-aviation.com lists three Dash 8s as still being registered to LOT, with the registrations SP-EQI, SP-EQK, and SP-EQL. According to FlightRadar24.com, the first two operated their last sectors for LOT at the end of 2022, with SP-EQI doing so from Berlin back to the airline's Warsaw hub on December 31st.

Meanwhile, SP-EQK bowed out on a similar short-haul regional route, flying back to Warsaw Chopin Airport (WAW) from Václav Havel Airport (PRG) in Prague in the early afternoon on New Year's Eve. The very last flight was the next day.

LOT Polish Airlines Dash 8-Q400
Photo: LOT Polish Airlines

Check out all the latest European aviation news here!

Final flight

As such, LOT started the new year on a bittersweet note in terms of its operation of propeller-driven aircraft. While the carrier has a long and proud history of operating such planes, this is the first time in its 94-year history that none are active on its routes. With this in mind, the last flight was marked with a water cannon salute.

Unlike the other two aircraft, SP-EQL's last LOT flight was of a domestic nature, originating in Gdansk before flying back down to the airline's Warsaw base. It spent 41 minutes in the air, lifting off at 12:05 on January 1st, and routing down at 12:46. Reflecting on LOT's use of turboprops, spokesperson Krzysztof Moczulski stated:

"The longest routes operated were from Poland to Beauvais and to Croatia. Day-to-day operations were domestic and to Central and Eastern Europe. From now on we'll serve these routes with our Embraer regional jets."

What now?

LOT's last three Dash 8s were relatively young, with the average age of these 78-seat regional aircraft being 9.6 years old. As such, with their withdrawal having been down to fleet strategy rather than age, they still have plenty of flying left in them. Aerobuzz notes that, for now, they will return to their lessor, Nordic Aviation Capital.

Their exact fate remains unclear, although, looking at LOT's previous Dash 8 departures, we can see that two have since moved to UK regional carrier Flybe. Registered as SP-EQD and SP-EQH during their time at the Warsaw-based Star Alliance member, they now bear the registrations G-EXTB and G-EXTA respectively.

What do you make of LOT's withdrawal of the Dash 8? How many of the carrier's propeller-driven aircraft have you flown on over the years? Let us know your thoughts and experiences in the comments!

Sources: Aerobuzz, Air Data News, ch-aviation.com, Flightradar24.com, LOT Polish Airlines

  • LOT Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner SP-LSF
    LOT Polish Airlines
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    LO/LOT
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Warsaw Chopin Airport
    Year Founded:
    1928
    Alliance:
    Star Alliance
    CEO:
    Rafal Milczarski
    Country:
    Poland