DALLAS – LOT Polish Airlines (LO) has announced that it has fired its CEO Rafal Milczarski after seven years in the role. He has also been dismissed as the boss of LOT’s parent, the Polish Aviation Group (PGL). The move follows a decision by the company’s supervisory board.
Now, Chief Corporate Officer Katarzyna Lewandowska will step in as interim CEO, while Elzbieta Bugaj will take charge at PGL.
A Troubled Tenure
Milczarski, who joined the airline in 2016, has had a troubled relationship with the airline staff in recent years. Some measures he undertook in an attempt to steer the airline through the covid pandemic were described by some trade unionists as “unjust.”
Indeed, even before the pandemic, Milczarski came under fire when the airline sacked 67 workers following, what it called, an illegal strike. At the time, the boss said the sacking was “a sad, but necessary measure.”
Recently, LOT’s Chief Commercial Officer MichaÅ‚ FijoÅ‚ said that the airline was unlikely to record a profit this year.
LOT Statement
The airline failed to offer a reason for his dismissal. Still, it said in a statement, “The supervisory board of LOT Polish Airlines has decided to dismiss Rafal Milczarski from his position as president of the management board.
“The supervisory board thanks him for his co-operation to date and his contribution to LOT Polish Airlines’ development over the past seven years.”
Featured Image: LOT Boeing 737-8 (SP-LVF). Photo: Davide Calabresi/Airways.
