Lufthansa will add a surcharge to tickets from January 2025 to cover costs related to new environmental regulations in Europe, including sustainable aviation fuel and emissions trading schemes, impacting flights from EU member states, the UK, Switzerland, and Norway.
Lufthansa has announced it will impose a surcharge of between €1 and €72 per ticket starting January 1, 2025, to cover the costs associated with new environmental regulations in Europe. The Frankfurt-based airline group, which includes Eurowings, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines, aims to pass on the costs of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and compliance with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the international Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).
The surcharge will apply to flights departing from the 27 EU member states, the UK, Switzerland, and Norway. Lufthansa cites the rising costs of SAF, which is at least twice as expensive as traditional aviation fuel, as a significant factor behind the surcharge. The European Union has mandated that at least 2% of airlines’ fuel consumption must be SAF by the start of 2025, with a gradual increase to 70% by 2050.
While other airlines may follow Lufthansa’s lead, it remains uncertain whether they will introduce similar surcharges or absorb the additional costs themselves. The initiative reflects the airline industry’s ongoing challenges in meeting decarbonization objectives while maintaining financial viability.
