Order of 84 aircraft: Airbus pressures Embraer to buy the A220

In March 2004, LOT Polish Airlines sent an Embraer aircraft on the route for the first time. It was E170. Exactly 20 years later, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer's aircraft are once again available for new order from the Polish state airline.

The Ministry of State Investments said it recently met with representatives from Embraer and Airbus. In the near future, LOT “will send a tender for the purchase of 84 regional aircraft to two manufacturers that offer machines that meet the requirements,” she wrote in a statement. “It is about Embraer and Airbus, and that is what the discussions were about.”

How dangerous is the A220 Embraer?

Even if the ministry does not mention any aircraft models: if it is about Embraer's regional and competing aircraft, it is likely that the Airbus A220 is meant – and in Lot's case perhaps even in both models, the A220-100 and A220-300. The airline currently operates two Embraer E170 and E190 aircraft. The Brazilians' current portfolio includes the E190-E2, E195-E2 and E175.

“The company faces a strategic decision to continue working with the current aircraft supplier (Embraer) in the regional sector or switch to a competing platform (Airbus),” the ministry wrote. The reason Boeing is not in the competition is probably not only because of current production problems, but also because the smallest plane, the Max 7, has not yet been approved.

Then Lot wants 26 more planes

Currently, Lot Polish Airlines has a fleet of 75 aircraft, more than half of which are Embraer. There are also the Boeing 737-800, the 737 MAX 8 and, for longer flights, the Boeing 787-8 and -9. There is currently one Airbus in the fleet – but only on a wet lease, an A330-900 from Air Belgium, which flies between Warsaw and New York.

For Embraer, this is a very important request from a regular customer. For Airbus, this is an opportunity to secure a Lot order for the first time. The current situation will not be the last in the coming years. “One of the foundations for implementing the company’s strategy is the purchase of up to 110 aircraft by 2028,” the ministry wrote. So 26 pilots will be added to the 84. It is not clear whether the 11 additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft recently announced for lease are actually included.