Reaching the 'gateway to Central, Eastern Europe'

LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 787 Dreamliner/ Courtesy of LOT Polish Airlines

LOT Polish Airlines launches direct flight between Warsaw and Incheon

By Jung Min-ho

LOT Polish Airlines has launched a direct flight between Seoul and Warsaw, the “gateway to East Central Europe,” hoping to strengthen cooperation in tourism and much more between the two nations.

Starting last week, LOT is operating three flights a week between Warsaw Chopin Airport and Incheon International Airport, using a 252-seat Boeing 787 Dreamliner. LOT said Korea is the third destination in Asia to operate a non-stop flight, following China and Japan.

According to the Central Statistical Office of Poland, the number of Korean visitors to Poland grew to 71,000 in 2014 from 26,000 in 2010.

“This is immense growth, which shows Koreans’ immense interest in our country and the entire region of East Central Europe,” LOT Polish Airlines CEO Rafal Milczarski told The Korea Times. “I think this is a fantastic opportunity for Korea’s tourism industry as well.”

A view of Warsaw

With the direct flight, he believes more Polish people will visit Korea in the coming years. “In our presentation, next year, or two years later, you may find that the number of Polish tourists to Korea will be significantly higher,” he said.

His confidence comes from the idea that an increasing number of Polish people are interested in Korea these days, especially about how the country’s miraculous economic success came after the devastating Korean War (1950-1953).

“After the war, you took your destiny into your hands and became an important, advanced country through great efforts. You have achieved I believe the most fantastic success in the world, which is a great inspiration for us,” Milczarski said.

“We lost 20 percent of our population during World War II… There have been really tough times for Poland. Now we are looking for the future, developing ties and, to a certain extent, following your dynamic example. This is why many Polish people are interested in learning about Korea.”

LOT Polish Airlines CEO Rafal Milczarski, left, and Min Min-hong, executive vice president of international tourism strategy division at the Korea Tourism Organization, pose after signing an MOU for cooperation on tourism between Poland and Korea, at Lotte Hotel in Seoul, Oct. 18.

The flight from Warsaw to Incheon takes slightly more than 10 hours. It offers connections to other major European cities as well as a Korean language service, in-flight meals and movies for passengers.

LOT said Seoul is one of the most important business centers in Asia and many Korean firms have been investing in Poland. “All Korean passengers are very important to us. So they can be sure that our offers will be very good value for money and the level of services we offer is the best they can expect from any airline,” Milczarski said.

LOT’s ambition is to help the Polish capital grow as the gateway to the whole of East Central Europe. “We want to play this role,” Chopin Airport Director Mariusz Szpikowski said. “The airline enhances the position of Warsaw on the map of major European airports.”

Behind the Iron Curtain, Poland was relatively unknown to Koreans for a long time. However, following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the distance between the two countries ― slowly but steadily ― has become closer.

The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) also welcomes the direct connection between Korea and Poland.

“We hope the direct flight will bring the two nations even closer,” Min Min-hong, executive vice president of international tourism strategy division at the KTO, said. “We expect more interactions in many areas, especially tourism.”

Although the two countries are geographically far from each other, they have many things in common, including a long history and its own language, he noted.

“Korea and Poland have their unique beauties. I hope more tourists from each country can see them,” he said.