Poland’s national airline has taken the top spot in Central Europe in one of the aviation industry’s best-known passenger surveys.
LOT Polish Airlines was named Best Airline in Central Europe at the 2026 Skytrax World Airline Awards in London, finishing ahead of Wizz Air and Croatia Airlines in the regional ranking. Skytrax’s official results place LOT first in the category.
The recognition was based on an international passenger survey conducted from September 2025 to August 2026. According to LOT, the final results incorporated 24.8 million verified entries covering more than 300 airlines, with travellers from more than 100 nationalities taking part.
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It gives Poland’s flag carrier another prominent international distinction at a time when LOT is also moving higher in Skytrax’s worldwide ranking.
The airline placed 44th in the 2026 World’s Top 100 Airlines, putting it inside the global top 50. Skytrax’s current 2026 results show LOT moving substantially higher than the previous year.
Recognition beyond the aircraft
The airline did not leave London with recognition for its flights alone.
Three LOT business lounges received four-star Skytrax ratings: the Polonez and Mazurek lounges at Warsaw Chopin Airport and the LOT Business Lounge at Chicago O’Hare.
Unlike the passenger-voted World Airline Awards, Skytrax says its star-rating system is based on professional assessment of product and service standards. According to LOT, auditors examining the lounges highlighted elements including their design, functionality, materials and food and beverage offering.
The Chicago lounge carries an additional Polish connection. LOT CEO Michał Fijoł said the airline uses the space to showcase Polish design, brands, food and culture to passengers travelling across the Atlantic.
“We are especially pleased that our lounge in Chicago has been recognised,” Fijoł said, adding that it allows LOT to promote Polish products and culture outside the country.
LOT itself also holds a four-star Skytrax World Airline Rating, awarded in 2025 following an assessment of its overall product and passenger service.
A Polish airline with nearly a century of history
Founded in 1929, LOT is among the world’s longest-operating airlines and remains one of Poland’s most internationally visible companies.
Its hub at Warsaw Chopin Airport links Poland with destinations across Europe as well as long-haul routes to North America and Asia, making the airline an important part of the country’s international transport network.
The latest Skytrax result adds an external passenger-based measure to that profile.
There is, however, a small historical wrinkle in describing the latest regional award as an exact repeat of 2025. LOT’s own 2026 announcement describes the victory as following its win “in this category” last year, and contemporary reporting has called it a second consecutive title.
Skytrax’s archived 2025 results, however, list LOT as Best Airline in Eastern Europe, while the 2026 structure places it under Central Europe.
What is unambiguous is the current result: in Skytrax’s 2026 regional awards, LOT Polish Airlines sits at number one in Central Europe — accompanied by four-star recognition for three lounges carrying the Polish airline’s identity in Warsaw and across the Atlantic in Chicago.
