NEW YORK- LOT Polish Airlines (LO) and New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) were involved in a short but tense ground exchange when a LOT Boeing 787-9 delayed its departure while holding at runway 31 Left. The aircraft was set to operate flight LO27 from JFK to Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW) when the flight crew requested extra time.

The tower initially instructed the aircraft to enter the runway. Still, conflicting readiness reports from the cockpit prompted controllers to pull the plane off the departure queue and reposition it for sequencing with other traffic.

LOT Polish 787 Delayed

The LOT Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, registered SP-LSF, was taxiing toward runway 31 Left at JFK for its scheduled departure to Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW).

As LOT5N heavy approached the holding point, the flight crew informed the tower that the cabin was not ready. They requested one to two minutes before lining up for takeoff.

The controller issued an instruction to enter runway 31 Left and vacate via taxiway Y, intending to move the aircraft out of the way of other traffic. When the aircraft reached the runway threshold, the flight crew suddenly reported they were ready for departure.

The tower, however, held the initial plan and directed the aircraft to continue entering the runway and turn off at Yankee, noting that this was already the third issued instruction.

While LOT5N heavy repositioned via Yankee and Juliet, the tower cleared JetBlue 1128 into position on runway 31 Left. The LOT flight was handed to ground control, where the controller advised the crew to confirm readiness before rejoining the departure queue.

Once the crew reported they were fully prepared, they were routed back toward the runway for resequencing.

ATC Instructions and Crew Readiness

The exchange highlighted the importance of timely readiness communication between flight crews and air traffic controllers.

Runway availability is tightly coordinated at JFK, and any last-minute uncertainty can disrupt the departure flow.

Controllers kept the runway active by sequencing other aircraft while shifting LOT5N to a safe taxi route until the crew confirmed cabin readiness.

Large international departures such as LOT’s long-haul service to Warsaw often involve meticulous cabin preparations.

Any delay during this stage can place crews in a stressful position during peak traffic periods. ATC’s decision to remove LOT5N from the departure position ensured the runway remained efficient for other traffic while preserving safety margins.

ATC and Pilots Comms

Here’s a detailed transcription of the communication between LOT Polish Airlines pilots and New York ATC as flagged by YouCanSeeATC:

{ts:10}
Tower: LOT five November heavy, can you line up runway 31 left for takeoff?
Pilot: We need two minutes…

{ts:21}
Tower (to another flight): Delta 807, you can turn left Victor, left Uniform, left Alpha to your ramp, or you can take Whiskey, whatever. Delta 807 ground 21.​

{ts:32}
Tower: LOT five November heavy, can you line up 31 left for takeoff?

{ts:43}
Pilot: We need two minutes more, or one minute, I reckon.
Tower: LOT five November heavy, what’s the issue?

{ts:54}
Pilot: We have cabin not prepared yet.
Tower: Cabin’s not prepared and you’re number one at the runway. Okay… LOT five November heavy, enter runway 31 left, turn right at Yankee, right on Juliet.

{ts:77}
Tower: LOT five November heavy, enter runway 31 left, turn right Yankee, right on Juliet.
Pilot: Okay, line up 31 left… and we are ready now.

{ts:84}
Pilot: We are ready now, LOT…
Tower: No, no, no, LOT five November heavy, we’re not doing this. Enter 31 left, turn right Yankee. It’s the third time I’ve told you this.

{ts:90}
Pilot: Okay, enter 31 left, turn right Yankee.

{ts:98}
Tower (to another flight): JetBlue 1128, position and hold runway 31 left.
Pilot (JB1128): 31 left, JetBlue 1128.​

{ts:110}
Tower: LOT five November heavy, right Yankee, right on Juliet, you can contact ground 129.1.
Pilot: Right Yankee, right Juliet, 129.1, LOT five November heavy.

{ts:124}
Ground: LOT five November heavy, Yankee?
Pilot: LOT five November heavy, roger, continue straight ahead Yankee.

{ts:132}
Ground: Straight ahead Yankee, hold short Hotel. LOT five November heavy, just let me know when you’re ready to go, I’ll get you back in line up.

{ts:141}
Pilot: We are ready for departure.
Ground: No problem. Right Juliet and hold short 31 left.

{ts:149}
Pilot: Right Juliet, hold short 31 left, LOT five November heavy.
Ground: LOT five November heavy, monitor tower 119.1, bye-bye.
Pilot: Thank you.

Bottom Line

The recorded exchange included the flight crew’s readiness concerns, tower instructions to vacate the runway, and ground control’s follow-up.

The tower maintained a consistent direction to enter the runway and exit via Yankee, despite the crew advising readiness mid-instruction. This ensured procedural clarity and prevented potential conflicts.

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