In May 2018, Lot Polish Airlines will begin year-round service
between Budapest and both New York and Chicago, the first direct flights
between the U.S. and Hungary since Malev Hungarian Airlines ceased operations in
2012.
Even with no direct service, traffic between Budapest and
the U.S. has been on the rise for the past few years, according to Lot CEO
Rafal Milczarski. "More than 165,000 passengers travel between Budapest
and New York and Chicago every year," he said. "Today, they change
mainly in Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam and London, which makes their journey
considerably longer."
The Budapest flights constitute Lot's first base of
operations outside Poland, according to Budapest Airport CEO Jost Lammers. The
carrier aims to consolidate in Central and Eastern Europe, including its investment
in Estonian carrier Nordica, which was announced last year.
Lot
will move one of its Dreamliners to Budapest for the U.S. service. It will fly
to New York four times per week—on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays—and
to Chicago on Tuesdays and Saturdays.