Polish president traveling LOT? What about POLISH AIRFORCE 1?

I was amazed that when last week I was coming to Poland and the Polish president with his 5 body guards and a delgation of maybe 50 people were travelling in business class with other normal citizens like myself,I was surprised how the rules were breached..eg: security guard got up during the take off and took the packed blanket which the president kept off dropping on the floor and put it in the storage bin,and other passengers being given stainless steel cutellary for food,and as the plane landed and while still taxing on tarmac all the delegation and journalists crowded to him and started taking pictures,infact it scared me if I was safe in the that plane from ewr.

LOL is lot POLISH AIRFORCE 1?

It isn't unusual for heads of state to use civillian airlines. The Queen of England has even used a low cost airline.

they recently dissolved the military unit that was performing flights for Polish government bodies (36 pułk specjalny) - the leadership of the unit were made scapegoats for the Smoleńsk disaster

used I agree but with civilians? I heard from friends that maybe an election propegenda.

Yes. As you said yourself, there were bodyguards.


Quite possibly, given the cost of all those seats in Business Class which probably outweighed the cost of an airforce plane. Unless they all got upgrades ;-)

yes but at the risk of the presidents security?Isnt it worth to spend for the head of the nations security and atleast learn from the past when they lost cream of the polish leaderchip and before that the generals in plane accidents...again sitting behind president 3 rows in plane is it wise? who is the head of polish presidents security/ Even an uneducated normal person would vote to fire him for his inability even after two disasters?

Unfortunately even the most basic grasp of economics is far beyond little Deepak.

To be fair, when you look at the vast amounts of failings within that unit, it's understandable that it was dissolved. LOT can do the same job far better - why bother with a military unit with all the hassle of training (which was neglected anyway) when LOT can supply what's needed without hassle?

It's actually reassuring that LOT, which was in a dreadful place a few years ago, has actually managed to get itself into a position where they can supply such transport.

I highly doubt it.
And if any of you don't like the idea of Mr Komorowski travelling with LOT,you are of course free to buy him a plane and take care of it's maintence because I am not going to pay for it.Why did he even had to go there??? ********** doesn't have a phone/skype or what?If I was a president I would be sitting in Warsaw and if someone had a bussines to me he could call me or come over.Enough of flying all over the globe at Polish people expense.

It is actually at the expense of the Polish taxpayer, which I believe makes your views irrelevant.

Thats why you are not

Lot is a disaster waiting to happen. The fleet is embarrassingly out of date- The president shouldn't be flying nor should anybody for that matter- the fleet should be grounded.

While they are waiting for the dreamliners to arrive I hope no major accident happens.

Sorry pip but got to disagree: the average age of LOT's fleet is apparently 8.8 years. By comparison: Continental 10.1, US Airways 12.2, Delta 13.8, American 14.7, Northwest 18.5.

airsafe.com/events/airlines/fleetage.htm

Eeerm.

airfleets.net/ageflotte/LOT%20Polish%20Airlines.htm

Nothing particularly old or out of date there in airline terms. Perhaps they aren't to the latest Middle East hyper-modern standards, but what airline is?

In comparison -

airfleets.net/ageflotte/Air%20Canada.htm
airfleets.net/ageflotte/British%20Airways.htm
airfleets.net/ageflotte/Delta%20Airlines.htm
airfleets.net/ageflotte/Air%20France.htm

There's really nothing unusual with LOT - and as for them being a disaster waiting to happen, what do you base it on?

Incidentally, the planes chartered to the Polish government are pretty new.

I don't remember the Queen running for any elections recently?

the president flew a regular schedule intercontinenal flight - as far as I know chartering is something different to that (in Polish czarter is a plane hired as a whole for the sole disposition of those hiring)

I wouldn't fly any of the American airlines that you mentioned either. Perhaps I am thinking of the trans continental flight- the flight to Toronto and the flight to Chicago are both disasters waiting to happen.

But why? The 767's used are about 18 years old - and haven't been used particularly intensively. Air Canada has 767's flying around that have been used far more intensively (cycles matter more than hours, really) and are about the same age - and they're fine.

LOT's 767's might not be particularly luxurious, but as planes, nothing wrong with them.

So what airline would you fly pip?

Air Canada has a new fleet- the trans continental flights are nice. I also would fly British Airways, Swiss Air, Luftansa and KLM.

Swiss Air and KLM do not exist per se any more: Swiss Air has been replaced by Swiss and KLM was merged with Air France. Both Swiss Air and Air France-KLM experienced major transatlantic crashes (flight 111 between NYC and Geneva for Swiss Air in 1998 killing all 229 aboard, flight 447 for AF KLM between Rio and Paris in 2009 killing all 228 aboard). On the other hand, LOT's last major crash on a transatlantic route was in 1987, with a russian Illiushin plane. Admittedly, Lot flies less frequently than Swiss or AF KLM over the Atlantic..

If economics is the case then why not let the president ride around in a fiat with 10 scooters for security?Is the security of the president compromised for economic reasons?Get out of your peepi holes and think a bit smartly.no wonder idiots came to poland from Uk to make a better life when they are unsuccessfull in there own countries.

I will fly Lot again when they get their new fleet. Last month a flight bound for New York made an emergency stop in Iceland, then turned around because of a crack in the windshield (if that is the proper word?) I have flown Lot up until about 4 years ago. The fleet is falling apart at a rapid pace. It is simply time for new planes.

I think the Lot planes that fly within Europe are still in good shape- I believe they aren't that old. I have been on too many transcontinental flights where water was dripping from the ceiling and windows, seats are broken, toilets are broken- lighting--I could go on and on.

I have never seen such old planes flying across the Atlantic- and I have flown a lot.