LOT Polish Airlines is expanding its Central Asia network with the launch of flights between Warsaw and Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and commercial hub.
The Polish flag carrier will operate four flights per week between Warsaw Chopin Airport and Almaty International Airport during the summer season and 3X-weekly in winter, using Boeing 737-8 aircraft.
The new route, launching May 31, 2026, will become LOT’s second destination in Kazakhstan, complementing its existing service to Astana, which began in May 2017, and its third in Central Asia alongside Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The carrier started flights from Warsaw to Tashkent in March 2024, also operated using 737-8s.
LOT had originally planned to add flights to Almaty in 2020 after Poland and Kazakhstan agreed in late 2019 to expand bilateral flight rights from four to 14X-weekly frequencies, but the pandemic delayed the plans.
However, demand data indicates growing potential for the new route. Figures from Sabre Market Intelligence show that 11,950 two-way passengers traveled between Warsaw and Almaty in 2024, a 19.7% year-over-year increase, with all passengers connecting through hubs such as Doha and Istanbul.
The wider Poland-Kazakhstan market totaled about 49,500 two-way passengers, up 19.2% on 2023, with Warsaw-Astana accounting for more than half of that traffic.
Analysis of passenger flow patterns suggests LOT’s existing Astana service benefits from strong connecting traffic via its Warsaw hub. More than 57% of travelers originate at airports behind Warsaw, including Star Alliance hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, as well as Dusseldorf, Prague and Hamburg. Similar feeder demand is expected to support the Almaty service once launched.
“Kazakhstan, as the largest economy in Central Asia and one of Poland’s key trading partners in that area, is an excellent destination for our passengers thinking about expanding their businesses,” says LOT Director of Network Planning Robert Ludera.
Bilateral trade reached $1.12 billion in 2024, accounting for more than 80% of Poland’s total trade with Central Asia. More than 140 Polish companies operate in Kazakhstan, with cumulative Polish investment exceeding $520 million since 2005.
OAG Schedules Analyser data shows LOT currently provides about 1,488 two-way weekly seats between Poland and Kazakhstan, a figure that will temporarily fall to 1,116 during the winter 2025-26 season. With the addition of Almaty, total capacity will double to almost 3,000 weekly seats in summer 2026, reinforcing LOT’s position as the sole carrier offering nonstop connections between the two countries.
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