Virgin Atlantic Is Selling Two 787-9s to LOT as Its Widebody Fleet Tilts Toward Airbus

Virgin Atlantic is selling two of its Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to LOT Polish Airlines, with the handover due to be completed in 2027. The move cuts Virgin Atlantic’s 787 fleet from 17 aircraft to 14 and continues the airline’s shift toward an Airbus-dominated widebody fleet built around the A330neo and the A350-1000.

What the deal covers

Neither airline has named a price or identified the specific airframes. LOT chief executive Michal Fijol said the two jets should arrive in the first half of 2027, in time for the airline’s peak summer season, in comments reported by Polish outlet Rynek Lotniczy and relayed by Simple Flying.

LOT plans a cabin refresh rather than a full reconfiguration, keeping the layout close to Virgin Atlantic’s current fit so it can avoid a lengthy re-certification of the interior. That points to a fairly quick turnaround between the two operators.

For LOT, the aircraft add to a Dreamliner fleet that already stands at eight Boeing 787-9s and seven 787-8s. Fijol has said the carrier wants its long-haul fleet at 19 widebodies for the 2027 high season. LOT has leaned on secondhand Dreamliners before, including jets sourced as other carriers trimmed their own 787 fleets.

Why Virgin Atlantic is moving away from the 787

Virgin Atlantic runs a small fleet by transatlantic standards, so fleet commonality matters more to it than to a global major. Standardizing its widebodies on two Airbus types simplifies pilot training, spares, and maintenance, and it lets the airline retire older sub-fleets without stranding a handful of odd aircraft.

The airline has also leaned into a premium-heavy strategy on its core routes to the United States, where business and premium-economy cabins drive most of the revenue. Its incoming Airbus A350-1000s and A330neos are configured with that mix in mind, and concentrating the fleet lets Virgin Atlantic offer a more consistent onboard product.

By the first quarter of 2028, Virgin Atlantic expects a widebody fleet of 14 Boeing 787-9s, 12 A330neos, and 12 A350-1000s. The 787 will still be a large part of the operation, but the direction of travel is clear: fewer Boeing widebodies, more Airbus.

The trade also shows how a used Dreamliner market has matured. Fifteen years after the type entered service, airlines that want to grow long-haul flying quickly, like LOT, can buy proven jets from carriers that are reshaping their fleets rather than wait years for a factory slot.