Lufthansa now offers even more options for CO2-neutral flying: Starting February 4, the airline is testing a new service that allows passengers to offset the CO2 emissions of their air travel directly on board.
Lufthansa passengers can take advantage of the offer on short- and medium-haul flights with Internet connectivity to and from Munich. The Lufthansa Group airline SWISS will also introduce the test offer on selected long-haul aircraft.
The feature is displayed to guests in the onboard entertainment system. There, they can use a slider to choose how they wish to offset the CO2 emissions of their flight: Either via Sustainable Aviation Fuel made from biogenic residues, via high-quality carbon offset projects run by the non-profit organization myclimate, or via a combination of both options.
Passengers can use the service free of charge via the in-flight Internet on their mobile devices. In the new application, passengers can see directly how many passengers have already offset the CO2 emissions of their individual flight on that day and thus become part of a growing community.
The new offer uses the technology of the "Compensaid" platform for CO2-neutral air travel developed by the Lufthansa Innovation Hub in 2019. It has been integrated into the booking platforms of the Lufthansa Group Airlines and is also an integral part of the Miles & More app.
Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is currently roughly three to five times more expensive than fossil jet fuel. This keeps the demand for SAF low and affects the production costs of it. As long as the production facilities are focused on small amounts, they will never reach their highest level of efficiency.
"We calculate the extra-charge you would need to pay to upgrade from fossil jet fuel to SAF for your flight," Lufthansa said.
"An example: For a flight from Hamburg to Frankfurt you consume approx. 63 kg CO2 per person, depending on booking class and aircraft type. You can compensate this amount either by planting approx. 0.4 trees or by using approx. 31 liters of SAF. When using SAF, you only pay the difference between the regular kerosene price and the SAF price. We will guarantee that the purchased SAF is put into circulation within the next six months." ■