The Lufthansa Group, which includes Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings, has announced the implementation of a new environmental fee. This fee, ranging up to €72 per flight, will be applied to all tickets booked from June 26, 2024, for flights scheduled from January 1, 2025, onwards.
Lufthansa highlights that it is facing “continuous increases in additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements.” One such regulation mandates that from 2025, the fuel used for refueling aircraft at European airports must contain at least 2% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
The new fee will apply to all flights operated by the Lufthansa Group from the 27 EU member states, as well as from the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland. The amount will vary from €1 to €72 depending on the route and fare.
In their statement, the company emphasized that it is “investing billions” in new aircraft and other measures to make flying more environmentally friendly. They noted, however, that “it cannot bear the steadily increasing additional costs arising from regulatory requirements on its own in the coming years.”
It is worth noting that in 2023, Lufthansa’s CEO Carsten Spohr warned that European airlines might have to increase fares due to the new mandate for the use of SAF.
