Escalating tensions in the Middle East have triggered a ripple-effect of flight cancellations across South-Asia air corridors. Late on 7 March 2026 LOT Polish Airlines announced two special long-range rotations—Colombo–Warsaw and Malé–Warsaw—set for 10 March to bring home several hundred Polish tourists stranded after multiple carriers diverted or scrapped services. According to industry portal Aviation24.be, the one-off flights were arranged at the request of major tour operators and in coordination with Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Seats will first be allocated to package-holiday customers whose original return legs were cancelled; any remaining capacity will be sold through accredited agencies such as Weco Travel and eTravel.
![LOT Schedules Emergency Repatriation Flights from Sri Lanka and the Maldives]()
Should travellers suddenly find themselves rerouted through unfamiliar transit hubs, ensuring the right entry or transit visas can be as critical as securing a seat. VisaHQ’s online platform offers rapid visa processing and expert guidance for Polish passport holders, helping them navigate last-minute documentation hurdles so they can board evacuation or replacement flights without delays. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/poland/
The ad-hoc operation highlights the continuing importance of sovereign evacuation capability. Since 2020 LOT has run more than 60 chartered “Rescue LOT” missions—from Haiti to Israel—using its wide-body Dreamliner fleet. For companies with duty-of-care obligations the announcement underlines Warsaw’s ability to extract personnel quickly from volatile regions, a factor that increasingly influences assignment-risk assessments. Travellers are advised to monitor MFA social-media channels for further flights. Insurance providers, meanwhile, warn that policies may exclude cover for disruption caused by officially “foreseeable” geopolitical events after advisories are issued.
Should travellers suddenly find themselves rerouted through unfamiliar transit hubs, ensuring the right entry or transit visas can be as critical as securing a seat. VisaHQ’s online platform offers rapid visa processing and expert guidance for Polish passport holders, helping them navigate last-minute documentation hurdles so they can board evacuation or replacement flights without delays. More information is available at https://www.visahq.com/poland/
The ad-hoc operation highlights the continuing importance of sovereign evacuation capability. Since 2020 LOT has run more than 60 chartered “Rescue LOT” missions—from Haiti to Israel—using its wide-body Dreamliner fleet. For companies with duty-of-care obligations the announcement underlines Warsaw’s ability to extract personnel quickly from volatile regions, a factor that increasingly influences assignment-risk assessments. Travellers are advised to monitor MFA social-media channels for further flights. Insurance providers, meanwhile, warn that policies may exclude cover for disruption caused by officially “foreseeable” geopolitical events after advisories are issued.
