Photo of the Week: Let Poland Be Poland

LOT Polish Airlines celebrates Polish independence with custom livery

By BlueSkyStaff

Published November 22, 2021

Read Time: 2 mins

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We’re a bit late, but to our Polish friends: Niech żyje Polska!

Poland celebrated the 103rd anniversary of its independence on Nov. 11, an important celebration for the central European nation, which fought alongside the U.S. in World War I and eventually won its freedom from the rule of Prussia and other countries.

Pittsburgh, of course, has strong ties to Poland. The first Pole visited the region in 1729, and steady migration in the mid-1800s created a Polish community in the South Side that grew big enough to support a parish, St. Stanislaus Kostka, in the Strip District by 1875.

The 1920 census recorded 200,000 Polish immigrants and second-generation Polish-Americans, more than a third of the city’s population. And to this day, the Polish Hill neighborhood stands as a testament to their prominent part in the city’s development.

We were reminded of all this when Gavin Taylor sent us a photo he took at JFK International Airport.

LOT Airlines is Poland’s flag carrier and one of the world’s oldest airlines; it was established in 1928. Based out of Warsaw, it boasts a fleet of nearly 100 aircraft and more than 120 destinations.

In 2018, the airline unveiled a special livery for the 100th anniversary of Poland’s independence, featuring an outline of the nation and streaming the red and white of its flag on a Boeing 787-9.

Gavin spotted this special aircraft in New York and passed along a photo to us. Dziękuję Ci, Gavin!

Our readers continue to pass along shots of unique aircraft, international airports, historical events, gorgeous views and even family vacation photos for this feature. We love them! Keep them coming—you can click here for submission guidelines.