Lufthansa introduces fee hike to cover environmental costs
Lufthansa announced that ticket prices will be increased by an additional fee. This fee will depend on the type of ticket and the distance, and it can be as high as $100 CAD. The German airline insists that it cannot handle the increasing environmental costs alone.
On Tuesday, June 25, German Lufthansa announced that airline ticket prices would go up. This is in connection with the additional Environmental Cost Surcharge. According to the TVN24 portal, although this charge will be applied to tickets sold from Wednesday, June 26, it will concern flights planned after January 1, 2025.
The fee will depend on the distance traveled and the type of ticket. It can range from $2 to as high as $100 CAD. For short and medium distances, the environmental fee will be $7 for economy class tickets and $11 for business class tickets.
For long-haul flights, the fee will range from $26 to $50 in business class and up to $100 for first-class passengers. Lufthansa stated in a communication that the surcharge will be added to flights originating in European Union countries, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland.
Lufthansa on rising costs
Lufthansa stated that the introduced fee is intended "to cover part of the steadily increasing additional costs resulting from regulatory environmental requirements." These are due to EU regulations, including the need to use sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced from more environmentally friendly raw materials.
By 2025, aircraft departing from airports in the EU will have to use fuel containing 2% SAF in the fuel mix. By 2030 this will be 6%, five years later 20%, and by 2050, 70%.
Other factors include the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the "Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation" (CORSIA). Lufthansa points out that although it has been implementing new technologies for years, trying to adapt to changing conditions, it "cannot independently bear the steadily increasing additional costs."
