The German airline Lufthansa Group announced on Tuesday that it could impose an “environmental cost surcharge” on ticket prices this week, which could possibly be as high as 72 euros (77 dollars) on some flights.
“The surcharge is intended to cover part of the steadily increasing additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements,” said Lufthansa. said in an announcementand refers to regulations of the European Union and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The additional costs shall be levied on flights departing from any of the 27 European Union member states, in addition to the UK, Norway and Switzerland, Lufthansa said. All flights sold or operated by the Lufthansa Group, which incorporates airlines similar to Lufthansa, Eurowings, Swiss and Edelweiss Air, in addition to Austrian Airlines, are subject to the fee.
“The amount of the surcharge varies depending on the flight route and flight price and is between 1 euro and 72 euros,” Lufthansa said. Customers can see the precise amount when booking.
The fee shall be charged on all tickets issued from June 26 – Wednesday of this week – for flights departing from January 1, 2025, Lufthansa said.
Environmental regulations
Numerous regulations from institutions, including the EU, would increase costs for airlines, Lufthansa explained.
These include EU quotas for using sustainable aviation fuels. These are to return into force in 2025 and increase over time as much as 2050.
Sustainable aviation fuel is an alternative choice to fossil fuels and could be made out of products similar to used oils and fats, inedible plants and other waste materials. It can be produced in a process that captures carbon from the air.
According to the International Air Transport Association, sustainable aviation fuel could save around 65% of emissions reduction The aviation industry must achieve the goal of becoming climate neutral by 2050.
Lufthansa said on Tuesday that the quotas would “lead to additional costs amounting to billions in the future.”
The company also pointed to the EU, Switzerland and UK emissions trading systems as an element contributing to its rising environmental costs. These programs control and limit the quantity of emissions allowed, with the general cap designed to diminish over time to scale back emissions.
Finally, the climate protection agreement of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which also provides for a limitation of emissions, also played a task, in line with Lufthansa.
Lufthansa said it was investing heavily in technologies to make aviation more sustainable and support climate research.
“However, the airline group will not be able to bear the gradually increasing additional costs resulting from regulatory requirements alone in the coming years. Part of these costs expected for 2025 will now be covered by the new environmental cost surcharge,” the corporate said.
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