Main EU airline presents heavy environmental charge
(MENAFN) Lufthansa, Germany's leading airline, has introduced a new surcharge of up to EUR72 (USD77) on plane tickets in response to stringent European Union regulations mandating increased use of sustainable Aviation fuel (SAF). This move, announced by Lufthansa in a statement this week, aims to offset rising costs associated with complying with the EU's evolving environmental standards.
Effective for tickets issued by June 26 and for flights departing from January 1, 2025 onwards, the surcharge will affect travelers across all classes. On short and medium-haul flights, Economy class fares will rise by up to EUR5, while business class fares will see increases of up to EUR7. For long-haul flights, business class passengers could face additional charges ranging from EUR18 to EUR36, with first class travelers potentially paying up to EUR72 more.
The surcharge will apply to flights departing from EU member states, as well as the UK, Norway, and Switzerland, encompassing all airlines under the Lufthansa Group umbrella, which includes Lufthansa, Eurowings, Swiss, Edelweiss Air, and Austrian Airlines.
Lufthansa justified the surcharge as necessary to cover escalating costs driven by regulatory demands for increased SAF usage. Under new European Union regulations, fuel suppliers are required to ensure that 2 percent of fuel at European Union airports is SAF by 2025, escalating to 6 percent by 2030 and a significant 70 percent by 2050.
Industry experts have cautioned that while these measures aim to reduce aviation emissions, they could lead to higher ticket prices as airlines pass on additional operational costs to passengers. This initiative by Lufthansa follows similar actions by Air France-KLM in January 2022, when the airline introduced biofuel surcharges of up to EUR12 on business fares and EUR4 on economy fares.
As airlines navigate these regulatory requirements and strive to meet sustainability goals, the implications for travelers include potentially higher costs for air travel, reflecting broader efforts within the aviation sector to mitigate its environmental impact and transition towards more sustainable practices.
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