LOT Polish Airlines (LO, Warsaw Chopin) has announced it will resume intercontinental operations out of the southern Polish city of Kraków John Paul II International during summer of next year.

The carrier said in a statement that weekly, year-round, flights to Chicago O'Hare would launch from July 2017 onwards using one of its incoming B787-8s. The service is in response to growing demand for travel between the two cities, Chicago in particular given that it is home to a large expatriate Polish community.

“According to our analyses, the interest in this connection is high and continues to rise," Radosław Włoszek, Chairman of the Management Board, Krakow Airport, said. "Over 90,000 passengers that fly between Krakow and Chicago each year via Warsaw Chopin, will be offered a direct flight next year. Thus, as the results of business analyses were positive, it was decided to launch additional, direct connections next July.”

LOT last operated the route, as well as a similar Krakow-Toronto Pearson service, in 2010.