Turkish Airlines might buy Polish LOT

Turkish Airlines chief Hamdi Topcu told a Turkish television station on January 21 he had met Polish Economy Minister Waldemar Pawlak in December to discuss the sale.

The government wants the chosen investor to guarantee jobs at LOT as well as develop the carrier. The sale of the 83-year old ailing national carrier was first muted in 2008. The company noted a whacking $262 million loss that year, and has since been on the edge of bankruptcy, forcing it to cut 400 jobs in 2010.

The government said in May 2011 that LOT's privatization would be finalized within the next 12 months.

thenews.pl/1/9/Artykul/83974,Turkish-Airlines-on-cards-to-buy-Polish-carrier-LOT

Turkish airlines realy good if you have chance try to fly with that,new,clean and good service,but they have tough rules for ticket change and pay ticket money back,this is not good.

They're not bad at all - not expensive and decent service. As long as the clowns who own Istanbul Airport (one of the world's most expensive for food, drinks etc) don't get their sticky hands on Okęcie.

Yes in Turkey airports, shoping and eating are expencive but I think all over the world same like this or onley in Turkey? Isnt it Mr JonnyM?

" As long as the clowns who own Istanbul Airport (one of the world's most expensive for food, drinks etc) don't get their sticky hands on Okęcie."

I very much doubt they will. The only reason LOT might be sold to them is that nobody else wants it. Okecie is a different story.

As for expensive airports, try Prague: 145kr (25zl) for a beer, in central Prague I didn't pay more than 39 (in an extent restaurant) and outside Prague there are places serving beer for as little as 12kr.

Istanbul Airport is one of the worst. 10 euros for a can of pop near the gates. 5 star hotel prices for that place that has wi-fi near the main entrance.

Yes its expencive but capitalism say to be like that, this system like that, if you want buy if you dont want dont buy,Im not advocate of Istanbul airport even Turkish citizen pay tax 10 dolar who leave the Turkey, but you show Istanbul airport like midnight express, yes some could be bad but all over the world countries citizen can fly Turkey and get visa on the border just pay money,not apply visa and wait result in consulate, Turkey the onley one country use that visa system in the world. Border guards treat all the world citizen same right, they dont care who from Uk, who from china, Who from arabic country or EU ,Latin america. They treat same all people, but all the world airport not same like that? For exemple some polish can be refuse entry to US if border guard want? isnt it? Any problem you get in Istanbul airport border Mr JonnyM? If onley pay little expencive for food its not end of the world and Its not mean istanbul airport one of the worst. Just one of the expencive could be Mr JonnyM you can be right.

Merged:

Nearly bakrupt under PO, LOT has taken off, turned a profit & expanded to Hungary

A LOT Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner recently made its maiden voyage from the US to Poland, the last of eight 787-8 Dreamliners ordered after LOT decided to retire its older Boeing 767 jetliners. In 2012, LOT purchased the 252-passenger aircraft in order to boost its long-haul schedule, becoming Europe's first airline to have a Dreamliner in its fleet. The expansion of the LOT fleet symbolizes the dynamic changes now taking place in an airline that had been doomed to oblivion. Former prime minister Donald Tusk had said there was no reason to make a fetish of LOT, even though it did have "a beautiful history". And his government was trying to sell the Polish carrier to Turkey. In 2015 under the liberal Civic Platform administration LOT was all but bankrupt having lost more than 300 million złotys (about $85 million). In 2016, under the present conservative government, the airline turned a 300 million złoty profit. It has also arranged to become the trans-Atlantic carrier for Hungary. Since Hungary has no trans-Atlantic flights of its own, the some 1,000 Hungarians flying each week to North America have had to go to Germany, France or England for connecting flights. Now LOT will be taking them directly form Budapest to New York, Toronto and other cities. LOT expects to fly 6.6 million passengers this year, up from 5.5 million last year and 4.3 million in 2015.

The reality, Po, is that the changes in LOT were made well before the last election.