The mayor of Krakow abruptly called off a sitdown next week with Polish airline representatives and Mayor Eric Adams in City Hall — after a historic federal indictment accused Hizzoner of accepting free luxury airline travel, The Post has learned.
Aleksander Miszalski was scheduled to meet Adams on Monday along with representatives from LOT Polish Airlines, the flag carrier of the country, the European city’s nonprofit to promote tourism and the mayor’s international affairs team, according to City Hall sources.
“He didn’t want to be seen with the mayor after the indictment, especially since he’s new to office,” said one City Hall source.
Mayor Adams brushed off concerns of leaders not wanting to meet, telling The Post in City Hall his calendar hasn’t gotten any leaner since the criminal indictment.
“People understand that I’m still the mayor and there are still things that need to be done in the city,” he told reporters during his off-topic press conference in the City Hall Rotunda.
Apply the kiel-bosh-a!
Following the release of a historic federal indictment accusing Hizzoner of accepting free luxury airline travel, the mayor of Krakow abruptly canceled a scheduled meeting with representatives of Polish airlines and Mayor Eric Adams in City Hall for next week, as The Post has learned.
According to sources at City Hall, Aleksander Miszalski was supposed to meet Adams on Monday along with officials from the nation’s flag carrier, LOT Polish Airlines, the nonprofit organization that promotes tourism in the European city, and the mayor’s foreign affairs team.
However, Adams’s defense team canceled it after the Southern District of New York unsealed a five-count indictment against him last Thursday, which accused Adams of wire fraud and accepting bribes in exchange for opulent travel arrangements arranged by foreigners, including Turkish Airlines business class tickets.
One source at City Hall stated, “He didn’t want to be seen with the mayor after the indictment, especially since he’s new to office.”.
Meetings with Adams are now avoided by world leaders, which is understandable given how quickly word spreads. “.
Miszalski, 44, was elected to lead the slightly over 750,000-person city in southern Poland back in May. He will be in New York City in the coming days to participate in the 87th annual Pulaski Day Parade.
The mayors, who have both supported their cities’ nightlife, were reportedly going to talk about how they could collaborate to support each other’s cities’ economies and tourism.
According to sources, they were going to talk about how a sister city agreement could strengthen ties.
With about 80 aircraft, or about 50 fewer than Frontier Airlines, LOT is a relatively small airline that has been growing recently and is one of the three anchor carriers at JFK International Airport.
It was unclear what was on the agenda for reps from the airline in the meeting with Big Apple officials.
A LOT Polish Airlines representative, Krzysztof Moczulski, stated that the New York City region has “traditional importance” for the airline since it is home to one of the largest Polish populations, with a significant number of residents being Krakow natives.
The spokesperson said in a statement, “LOT has been well-established in the NYC market for over 50 years, serving as a vital connection for this community.”.
As per the statement, “LOT Polish Airlines has kept up professional relationships with representatives from Krakow and New York, without providing any upgrades or exclusive benefits to Mayor Eric Adams, his staff, or other officials.”. Nothing has been done to advocate for more flights in relation to this recent meeting. “.
The mayor’s office in Krakow did not answer calls.
As he has consistently denied any wrongdoing, the mayor entered a not guilty plea to the accusations on Friday.
However, with the mayor under federal indictment and numerous SDNY and Manhattan DA investigations hanging over senior administration officials, political insiders have expressed doubts about how well City Hall can operate.
After the criminal indictment, Mayor Adams told The Post that his calendar at City Hall hasn’t gotten any lighter. He dismissed concerns expressed by leaders that they didn’t want to meet.
In an off-topic press conference in the City Hall Rotunda, he told reporters, “People understand that I’m still the mayor and there are still things that need to be done in the city.”.
“Trust me, there are a lot of people on my calendar who want to talk to me for a variety of reasons—from local to international city leaders. “.
When questioned about the postponed meeting between Polish airline officials and Krakow officials, a City Hall spokesperson remained silent for hours.