Lufthansa is set to introduce a passenger surcharge to assist the airline in covering its environmental sustainability costs.
Airlines are juggling rising costs with added regulations requiring them to reduce their environmental impact.
To help cover rising operational costs and environmental regulatory requirements, Lufthansa announced that it will introduce an environmental cost surcharge.
SUSTAINABLE AVIATION FUEL
Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and the shift to achieving net-zero carbon emissions for flight operations by 2050 is a requirement for most major airlines.
Furthermore, the European Union (EU) requires aviation to use a two percent blend of SAF from 2025.
This requirement will rise to a 70 percent blend by 2050.
ALSO READ: SAF production set to triple in 2024
COMPLYING WITH EUROPEAN MANDATE
For Lufthansa, the new surcharge is intended to help it cover the growing costs of regulatory requirements to use SAF.
This mandate is applicable to member states of the European Union, as well as the UK, Norway, and Switzerland.
ALSO READ: Sustainable aviation fuel mandates and the challenges…
LUFTHANSA’S SUSTAINABILITY SURCHARGE
AirlineGeeks reports that Lufthansa will levy this sustainability surcharge on tickets for flight departures from 1 January 2025.
According to FT, Lufthansa’s new surcharge will range from between one and seventy-two Euros, depending on the route and type of ticket.
The surcharge will assist the airline in ramping up efforts to achieve its use of SAF, fleet modernization, and align itself better with mandated EU regulations.
OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY REGULATIONS
The aviation sector is facing increasing regulation amid growing environmental concerns.
Like other major airlines, the German carrier also faces other regulatory environmental costs.
This includes regulations from institutions such as the EU and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), including adjustments to the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EUETS) and the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
