Polish and Turkish Airlines extend cooperation

ANKARA - Anadolu Agency

Polish Airlines (LOT) and Turkish Airlines (THY) inked a letter of understanding to initiate enhanced cooperation on Aug. 13, Turkish Airlines has said in a statement.

“Both the Turkish and Polish carriers have decided to implement a strategic partnership to make use of the possibilities to enhance benefits for their customers by offering more connection alternatives and [an] even better product,” said the statement.

The new agreement aims to extend commercial cooperation between the two airlines and to give passengers the opportunity to travel with more convenient stopovers. Ticketing will be combined for a number of important flights.

Although the final model for further cooperation has not yet been determined, both airlines have agreed to “proceed towards future joint venture cooperation,” according to the statement.

“LOT and Turkish Airlines have been partners for many years. I am convinced that this letter of understanding will help us to create a unique and global offer. This will give our passengers all advantages of the worldwide and supplementary networks of both carriers,” said LOT CEO Sebastian Mikosz.

“This strategic partnership between our airlines will enable both carriers to enhance their presence in their respective markets, while contributing to efficiency on the routes agreed within the scope of extended cooperation,” said Turkish Airlines CEO Temel Kotil.

Turkish Airlines and LOT have been code sharing on each other’s flights on the former’s Istanbul-Warsaw, Istanbul-Amman, Istanbul-Cairo and Istanbul-Ankara routes, and LOT’s Vienna-Warsaw and Warsaw-Krakow routes.

Turkish Airlines and LOT currently operate five weekly flights in cooperation on the Istanbul-Warsaw route.