Lufthansa Group will introduce an "environmental cost surcharge" of up to 72 euros per flight (about $75) to cover part of the cost of complying with new green regulatory rules for airlines.
The airline group, which includes Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, said the environmental surcharge would apply to all tickets issued from June 26 for departures starting Jan. 1.
Lufthansa Group said it is facing "steadily rising additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements." These include the EU's new 2% blending quota for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) from 2025, adjustments to the EU Emissions Trading System and the costs complying with CORSIA (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation).
The green charge will apply to all flights sold and operated by Lufthansa Group departing from the 27 EU member states as well as from the U.K., Norway and Switzerland.
The amount of the charge will depend on the flight route and fare. It will vary between 1 and 72 euros, and the exact charge will be shown in the price details on booking pages.
In a statement, the company said it "invests billions" in new aircraft and other measures to make flying more sustainable. But the group added that it "will not be able to bear the successively increasing additional costs resulting from regulatory requirements in the coming years on its own."
Last year, Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr warned that European airlines may have to increase fares and risk losing traffic to non-EU carriers because of the new mandate for the use of SAF.
Source: BTN Europe