Polish airline LOT has decided to suspend its direct flights between Warsaw and Beijing for the 2024-2025 winter season. The airline attributes this decision to lower ticket sales and the increasingly less competitive nature of their routes.
Due to the ongoing ban preventing European airlines from flying over Russian airspace, LOT and other Western carriers are forced to operate longer and more expensive routes to East Asia. In contrast, Chinese airlines, which are still permitted to fly over Russia, are able to offer shorter and more cost-effective flights.
To accommodate affected passengers, LOT will offer alternative travel options, including partnerships with Air China. LOT joins other European airlines, such as SAS (which has suspended its Copenhagen-Shanghai route), Lufthansa, and British Airways, in cutting back services to the Far East.
