Lufthansa adds up to $76 surcharge on tickets for environmental costs

On Tuesday, June 25, Lufthansa announced that airline ticket prices would go up due to the additional Environmental Cost Surcharge. According to the TVN24 portal, although this charge will be applied to tickets sold starting 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 $1 to as high as $76. For short and medium distances, the environmental fee will be $5 for economy class tickets and $8 for business class tickets.

For long-haul flights, the fee will range from $20 to $38 in business class and up to $76 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 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 increase to 6%, 2035 to 20%, and 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."