New Routes of the Day (30 March 2026): LOT Polish Airlines’ new routes from Krakow
LOT Polish Airlines inaugurated three new routes from Krakow on Monday 30 March.
- Barcelona (4-weekly)
- Madrid (6-weekly)
- Rome FCO (5-weekly)
The Polish flag carrier faces significant competition on the three routes by LCCs, which hold over half of Krakow Airport’s capacity. Ryanair and Wizz Air maintain daily and 11-weekly flights on the Barcelona service respectively. Ryanair also maintains 6-weekly flights to Madrid, while Wizz Air operates 12-weekly rotations on the Rome FCO route. LOT will utilise its 737 MAX 8 aircraft to all three destinations.
What they said
Robert Ludera, Chief Commercial Officer, LOT Polish Airlines, said: “Krakow is an important destination on our route network – it is both a major business hub and a popular tourist location. The city’s dynamic growth translates into an increasing demand for direct flight connections, which promote business opportunities and international cooperation. The launch of flights to Rome, Barcelona and Madrid marks LOT’s expansion of its existing connecting flight services to these destinations and represents a further step in strengthening our presence in the region.”
Lukasz Strutynski, CEO of Krakow Airport, added: “We are delighted to see the rapid growth of our flagship carrier, LOT Polish Airlines, at Krakow Airport, which translates into impressive 44% growth. This is not only the result of expanding range of sunny destinations – such as Madrid, Barcelona and Rome – but also to the continuous development of domestic flights.”
Ryanair dominates in Krakow
LOT Polish Airlines is Krakow’s third-largest airline this summer based on available seat capacity. It is behind Ryanair and Wizz Air, which dominate at Poland’s second-busiest airport.
During the 2026 summer season, Ryanair has over 5.4 million seats, or 50.6% of Krakow’s total capacity. It is followed by Wizz Air with 1.9 million seats, or a 17.2% share.
During the 2026 summer season, LOT Polish Airlines offers flights from Krakow to as many as 11 destinations, expanding its operations with the stationing of an additional 737 MAX 8 aircraft. Apart from the new routes, the airline is also adding additional frequencies on existing services. These include long-haul flights to New York JFK and Chicago ORD.
This summer, LOT has 756,931 seats in Krakow, or a 7% capacity share.