Polish airline’s Dreamliner 787 plans still a go
BY LORI RACKL Staff Reporter January 15, 2013 9:04PM
Related Stories
Updated: February 17, 2013 6:41AM
The decision to ground ANA and Japan Air’s entire fleet of Dreamliners hasn’t stalled LOT Polish Airlines’ plans to forge ahead with launching Dreamliner service between Chicago and Warsaw — a milestone slated for Wednesday when a LOT Boeing 787 begins regular service between the two cities.
A LOT spokesperson reached Tuesday night said the airline, the first in Europe to get Chicago-based Boeing’s long-awaited aircraft, has not experienced any problems with the two Dreamliners it’s been using for flights in Europe.
A Boeing 787 carrying several Polish government and airline dignitaries is supposed to arrive Wednesday at O’Hare. A ceremony at the airport with Mayor Rahm Emanuel is planned later that evening, before the 787 departs back to the Polish capital at 9:55 p.m.
LOT chose Chicago with its sizeable Polish population as its first North American gateway for the 787. It will fly the 250-seat plane on five roundtrips a week between Chicago and Warsaw, bumping that up to 10 a week in the peak summer season.
The airline has ordered a total of eight Dreamliners. The third member of its 787 fleet is due to be delivered next week from Boeing’s assembly plant near Seattle. LOT plans to launch Dreamliner service at Toronto and New York City next month.
