Deutsche Lufthansa AG Newsroom

Excellent environmental management: Lufthansa Airlines revalidated under EMAS

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 10:33:07 +0200

Lufthansa Airlines has successfully completed revalidation under the EMAS environmental management system (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) for the reporting year 2025. With this, the airline is once again sending an important signal for corporate environmental responsibility. For the first time, Lufthansa City Airlines and Lufthansa Aviation GmbH were also recognized. Validation covered how the companies implement environmental measures and achieve measurable progress — whether in flight operations or on the ground.

EMAS is a voluntary instrument of the European Union that supports companies and organizations of all sizes and sectors in continuously improving their environmental performance. The environmental management system includes all requirements of the international environmental management standard ISO 14001, supplemented by additional requirements.

This year's environmental statement focuses on operational fuel efficiency. Lufthansa Airlines demonstrates how measures across the entire flight operation — from flight planning through cruise flight to landing and ground processes — lead to measurable kerosene savings.

The complete results and further measures are documented in the Lufthansa Airlines 2026 Environmental Statement, which is publicly accessible at www.lufthansagroup.com/en/responsibility/news-and-data/reporting.html.

Flying more sustainably with “shark skin”: Lufthansa Group tests next-generation AeroSHARK

Thu, 30 Jul 2026 14:20:55 +0200

An Airbus A319 of Lufthansa City Airlines is the world’s first test aircraft for a new generation of fuel-efficient AeroSHARK technology. Lufthansa Technik will test approximately 70 transparent film patches measuring 20 × 20 centimeters each on the short-haul aircraft with registration D-ABGK together with its development partner Surventis (formerly BASF Coatings) through February 2027. These material samples are attached to selected areas on the sides of the fuselage as well as on the inside and outside of the engine cowlings. Their performance will be analyzed over the next few months during regular flight operations between Munich and Hamburg and is expected to provide insights for the further development of the AeroSHARK technology. The long-term goal is to tap into additional efficiency potential in flight operations through the broader use of AeroSHARK, thereby contributing to greater sustainability in air travel.

For passengers aboard the Lufthansa City Airlines aircraft bearing the name of the city “Starnberg,” the test remains virtually invisible. The material is transparent and hardly noticeable to the eye. Flight operations also remain unchanged. For informational purposes, a welcome panel featuring the AeroSHARK design at the aircraft’s entrance draws the attention of interested travelers to the test.

The patch test: Research meets real-world flight operations

To date, the fuel-saving AeroSHARK film has been used on the fuselage and engine cowlings of long-haul aircraft certified for this technology. With their current research and development work, Lufthansa Technik and Surventis are now taking an important step forward. Together, they are developing the next-generation material, which could also be used on wings as well as horizontal and vertical stabilizers in the future. These areas are exposed to higher aerodynamic loads.

With the test run that has now begun, various new AeroSHARK material samples are being evaluated under real-world conditions. The 70 test patches differ in terms of their material and layer composition. The goal of the study is to identify the material that combines the highest durability with easy application, straightforward cleaning, and residue-free removal. Lufthansa Technik conducts regular material inspections during regular ground time in Hamburg.

Inspired by nature

To date, AeroSHARK is the only riblet technology approved for commercial aviation. It consists of a specially developed surface film with microscopically fine grooved structures modeled after shark skin. The skin of sharks features fine grooves aligned with the direction of flow - known as riblets - which reduce frictional drag and improve flow characteristics in water. AeroSHARK applies this effect to aviation: The functional surface film features riblets only about 50 micrometers high, precisely aligned with the airflow. It is applied to an aircraft’s fuselage and engine cowlings and reduces aerodynamic drag during flight. The technology reduces fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions on every flight—currently by about 1 percent.

22 Lufthansa Group long-haul aircraft have already been equipped with AeroSHARK

As of July 2026, the Lufthansa Group has already equipped 22 aircraft with AeroSHARK: SWISS’s entire fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs (twelve aircraft), five Boeing 777Fs from Lufthansa Cargo, four Boeing 777-200ERs from Austrian Airlines, and one Boeing 747-400 from Lufthansa. As a result, the Lufthansa Group’s AeroSHARK fleet saves 19 metric tonnes of fuel and 60 metric tonnes of CO₂ daily. AeroSHARK is also gaining traction across the industry: Airlines outside the Lufthansa Group are also already using this innovative film to increase the fuel efficiency of their long-haul aircraft.

Lufthansa's first Airbus A350-1000 arrives with a special livery

Tue, 14 Jul 2026 09:22:52 +0200

In just a few weeks, Lufthansa’s special anniversary fleet will welcome another addition: The very first A350-1000 that Lufthansa Airlines will take delivery of from Airbus was painted at the Toulouse plant in blue, featuring a white XXL crane and the lettering “1926 | 2026” and “100” - using a total of 432 liters of blue paint and 246 liters of white paint.

The Airbus A350-1000 is scheduled to be transferred from Toulouse to Munich this fall. Until then, several test flights, further work on the aircraft’s interior, and the final acceptance inspection are still pending. The A350-1000 will bear the registration number D-AIFA and the name “Deutschland.” An official naming ceremony is scheduled to take place at a later date. What makes this first A350-1000 special is that it will be the 700th aircraft that Airbus has delivered to the Lufthansa Group.

With a length of 73.80 meters, the Airbus A350-1000 is exactly seven meters longer than its smaller brother, the Airbus A350-900. This long-haul aircraft can accommodate a total of 300 passengers across four travel classes: First Class, Business Class, Premium Economy, and Economy Class. Fifteen aircraft of this type have been ordered and will be delivered by 2030.

The new A350-1000 is the seventh aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet to feature a special livery commemorating the airline’s 100th anniversary. Already in service on long-haul routes are an Airbus A350-900, an Airbus A380, a Boeing 787-9, and a Boeing 747-8, as well as two short- and medium-haul Airbus A320neo aircraft featuring this special design. The special livery is attracting a great deal of attention and enthusiasm from passengers and plane spotters worldwide.

15 years in the service of science: Lufthansa Airbus celebrates research anniversary

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 10:28:57 +0200

The Lufthansa Airbus A340-300, named after the city of "Viersen", is celebrating a special anniversary: When the long-haul jet is scheduled to operate flight LH405 from New York to Frankfurt from July 7 to July 8, 2026, it will have been collecting important data for climate research in scheduled service for exactly 15 years to the day. On July 8, 2011, the aircraft with the registration "D-AIGT" added a new mission to its passenger flights: for the first time, it also took to the skies in the service of climate research – from Frankfurt to Lagos in Nigeria. At the time, Lufthansa, together with Forschungszentrum Jülich, became the world's first airline to launch a novel long-term observation of the Earth's atmosphere via scheduled flights, based on the measurement system of the research program IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System; https://www.iagos.org/).

The Lufthansa Group’s commitment to climate research dates back even further. The IAGOS predecessor system MOZAIC was already installed on two Lufthansa Airbus A340-300s and reliably collected measurement data during cruising flight from 1994 to 2014. This marks over three decades of Lufthansa Group’s support for atmospheric and climate research.

Up to three Lufthansa Group aircraft in daily service for climate research

Since then, the Lufthansa Group has continuously expanded its commitment. In February 2015, the second IAGOS system was installed on the Lufthansa Airbus A330-300 with the registration "D-AIKO", which today flies for Discover Airlines. In November 2022, the "D-AIKE", another Airbus A330-300 operated by Discover Airlines, became the third IAGOS aircraft in the Group's fleet. Today, up to three Lufthansa Group aircraft collect atmospheric data daily – the "Viersen" with Lufthansa, as well as two long-haul aircraft with Discover Airlines, on flight routes around the globe.

Around 400 organizations worldwide use the measurement data for research

The compact measurement system is permanently installed beneath the aircraft cockpit. Outside air reaches the measuring instruments via two probes built into the aircraft fuselage. After each flight, the data is automatically transmitted to the central database of the research center CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) in Toulouse, a key IAGOS partner of Forschungszentrum Jülich. The data is freely available to the global research community and is currently used by around 400 organizations worldwide to identify long-term changes in the atmosphere, refine climate models and improve weather forecasts. In addition, IAGOS is one of the central pillars of the World Meteorological Organization's global aircraft-based observation system.

Through its measurements on regular passenger flights, the Lufthansa Group supports the IAGOS research infrastructure – one of the most important European programs for studying the Earth's atmosphere. Coordinated by Forschungszentrum Jülich, the project brings together the expertise of partners from research, meteorological services, the aviation industry and airlines. The initiative is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR).

More than 37,500 measurement flights completed

The use of passenger aircraft allows the collection of measurement data at a volume and resolution that would not be possible with dedicated research aircraft or satellites. The data collected by the aircraft during cruising flight at altitudes of nine to thirteen kilometers is of great significance for atmospheric and climate research. This region is particularly relevant because it is where processes occur that affect the Earth's radiation budget and climate. The Lufthansa Group has already completed more than 37,500 measurement flights since 1994 on regular passenger flights using MOZAIC and IAGOS measurement equipment. The recorded values have made a significant contribution to building one of the world's most extensive datasets on ozone and water vapor content in the atmosphere. Today, ten aircraft operated by eight airlines worldwide are equipped with the IAGOS system.

Supporting atmospheric and climate research is part of the Lufthansa Group's broad sustainability commitment. Together with partners from science and research, the Lufthansa Group is working to better understand the impact of aviation on the atmosphere and climate, and to make scientific findings applicable to the further development of flight operations. In addition to IAGOS, this includes research activities on non-CO₂ effects, climate-optimized flight planning, and more precise weather data in operational use.

Deutsche Bank invests in Sustainable Aviation Fuel with Lufthansa Group

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 10:59:55 +0200

A strong signal for more sustainable aviation: As part of its strategy to reduce the climate impact of business travel, Deutsche Bank is investing in the deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in air transport with the Lufthansa Group. The jointly agreed volume of approximately 1,600 metric tonnes of SAF enables an estimated emissions saving of around 5,500 metric tonnes of CO₂. This is equivalent to the CO₂ emissions of approximately 520 flights between Frankfurt and London operated by an Airbus A320neo. The agreement builds on the growing partnership between the two companies: since October 2025, Deutsche Bank has been issuing the Lufthansa Miles & More Credit Card. In the area of sustainability, both partners aim to deepen their collaboration further – with the goal of advancing the sustainable transformation and enhancing the credibility and acceptance of climate protection solutions.

Frank Naeve, Senior Vice President Global Sales and Distribution, Lufthansa Group, says: "Deutsche Bank's decision to support the deployment of SAF with Lufthansa Group at this scale is a compelling demonstration that more sustainable flying is becoming increasingly important in the business travel sector. We are delighted to set a milestone together with Deutsche Bank – and to show that companies can make a measurable contribution to reducing the climate impact of their travel activities through concrete investments in SAF."

Jörg Eigendorf, Chief Sustainability Officer of Deutsche Bank, says: "Sustainable Aviation Fuel is an important instrument for Deutsche Bank in our efforts to nearly halve our CO₂ emissions along our supply chain by 2030 compared with 2019. It is also important for us to send a signal: only if there is reliable demand will SAF producers invest in production and make alternative fuels more competitive. This is a key part of our overall approach: we want to reduce CO₂ emissions from our business travel and offset the remaining emissions where feasible."

A broad portfolio of solutions for corporate customers

The Lufthansa Group has been working for many years on a sustainable transformation of aviation and offers companies a wide range of tailored solutions for more sustainable flying. Through so-called SAF bulk deals, companies can procure larger quantities of SAF from the Lufthansa Group. From an investment of EUR 2,000 or more, companies receive a Scope 3 certificate for CO₂ savings in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol standard. This not only strengthens a company's environmental commitment but also promotes the further development and deployment of SAF within the aviation industry. Logistics companies are increasingly also entering into SAF bulk deals, which Lufthansa Cargo offers from a minimum purchase volume of 100 metric tonnes of SAF.

With the "Sustainable Corporate Value Fare", business customers can contribute to saving up to 30 per cent of future CO₂ emissions by SAF. Across all corporate customer products, around 1,700 companies worldwide invested in SAF with the Lufthansa Group in 2025.

Growing demand for more sustainable travel options

The Lufthansa Group is recording an overall increase in demand for more sustainable travel options and enables its customers – through a variety of offerings for private and business travel – to contribute to reducing the climate impact of future flights. With measurable success: more than five per cent of Lufthansa Group passengers chose a more sustainable travel option in 2025 – for example, the Green Fares fare. The volume of Sustainable Aviation Fuel sold was more than doubled in the previous year across various product formats. The active engagement of passengers in more sustainable flying is an important pillar of the Lufthansa Group's sustainability strategy.

Five levers for more sustainable flying

The wide range of offerings for private travellers and corporate customers – alongside fleet modernization, the continuous improvement of fuel efficiency in flight operations, the deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), and the expansion of intermodality – represents one of five levers through which the Lufthansa Group is advancing more sustainable flying. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has been actively supporting global climate and weather research for more than 30 years.

Background: Deployment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) within the Lufthansa Group

Through the options offered by the Lufthansa Group for more sustainable flying, customers support the use of SAF in flight operations. The Lufthansa Group ensures that the required volume of SAF is fed into the airport infrastructure within six months of purchase. SAF is a so-called "drop-in" fuel: it is compatible with conventional fossil kerosene and can be easily blended with it. Booking an option for more sustainable flying does not result in an individual SAF refueling of the booked flight but supports the broader use of SAF across the Lufthansa Group's route network. Assessed over its entire lifecycle, the SAF produced from biogenic residues and used by the Lufthansa Group has a CO₂ footprint that is at least 80 per cent lower on an annual average than that of conventional aviation fuel derived from fossil crude oil. SAF which is part of the Lufthansa Group's offerings for customers for more sustainable flying is purchased by the Lufthansa Group in addition to mandatory SAF quotas.

Portions of the eligible SAF deployed were co-financed through the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).

Lufthansa Group expands climate protection portfolio

Wed, 20 May 2026 11:02:27 +0200

The Lufthansa Group has reshaped its portfolio of climate protection projects and is placing a stronger emphasis on technology-based solutions. As part of its offers for more sustainable flying, passengers can contribute to CO₂ savings through the climate protection project portfolio. The new portfolio comprises 14 projects certified to the highest standards. The share of projects that permanently remove CO₂ from the atmosphere has been doubled and now accounts for around 20 percent. The projects are being implemented in Lufthansa Group’s home markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, and Italy, as well as in other countries. In 2025, Lufthansa Group passengers contributed to climate protection projects covering more than 710,000 metric tonnes of CO₂ through more sustainable travel options - an increase of around 20 percent compared with the previous year.

Nina Sproedt, Head of Sustainability at Lufthansa Group, says: “Climate protection projects, which complement our own emission reduction measures, are an important building block on the path to more sustainable aviation and the achievement of our climate goals. With our carefully curated portfolio, we are increasingly focusing on technology-based projects that enable long-term CO₂ sequestration. In this way, we are contributing to the further development and scaling of these technologies. We offer our passengers the opportunity to support high-quality climate protection projects and the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel, thereby actively participating in the transformation of aviation.”

For its new climate protection project portfolio, the Lufthansa Group is working with myclimate, First Climate, Ceezer, Senken, Climeworks and 1PointFive. The projects selected for the portfolio are certified according to the highest available standards - such as the Gold Standard, which is recommended by the German Environment Agency, among others. In this way, the Lufthansa Group ensures that supporting these projects makes a positive contribution to climate protection. Furthermore, Gold Standard projects also contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and thereby support sustainable development in the respective project regions.

Technology focus in the new climate protection project portfolio
The Lufthansa Group’s climate protection project portfolio is divided into two categories: “avoidance” and “removal” projects. “Avoidance” projects prevent CO₂ emissions outside the airline industry - for example, through the use of energy-efficient cookstoves or modular biogas plants. “Removal” projects, on the other hand, actively remove CO₂ from the atmosphere and store it over the long term. This can be done nature-based, for example through the reforestation of forests and natural landscapes. In addition, there are “removal” projects that use technology-based approaches - for example, those in which CO₂ is extracted from the ambient air via photosynthesis and bound as carbon in the form of biochar. Innovative projects that filter CO₂ from the air and store it underground are also part of the growing share of removal projects (Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage, DACCS).

Commitment to innovative DACCS technologies
In the aviation industry, decarbonization is particularly challenging compared to other sectors. Sector-specific measures to reduce CO₂ emissions always take priority. In addition, the Lufthansa Group is exploring further emission-reduction solutions with an open approach to technology. Particularly advanced technologies such as DACCS will make it possible in the future to filter CO₂ from the ambient air and subsequently store it underground for the long term. These projects are now, for the first time, included in the Lufthansa Group’s climate protection project portfolio. The Lufthansa Group is already working with partners such as Deep Sky, Airbus and Climeworks to advance the development, promotion, and utilization of these innovative technological solutions.

Passengers and the interested public can also find further information on the new climate protection portfolio and the underlying mechanisms on specially created web pages of the Lufthansa Group airlines.

Almost 7 million Lufthansa Group passengers opted for more sustainable flying in 2025

Mon, 16 Mar 2026 10:29:37 +0100

The Lufthansa Group is seeing growing demand for more sustainable travel options. The Group enables its customers to contribute to reducing the climate impact of future flights with various offers for private and business air travel. With success: more than five percent of Lufthansa Group passengers have chosen a more sustainable travel option in 2025 – for example, the Green Fares flight fares. Four years ago, this share was below 0.1 percent. Last year, the volume of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) sold across various offerings more than doubled. Passengers’ active commitment to more sustainable flying is an important pillar of the Lufthansa Group’s sustainability strategy.

Just in time for the upcoming summer travel season 2026, the Lufthansa Group is once again expanding its portfolio of offerings for more sustainable flying. Tour operators can now book the new “TO Green” fare. The offer was developed in response to the growing demand for more sustainable booking options - especially for private travel. The product is based on the proven Green Fares - specially tailored to the needs of tour operators.

Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of the Lufthansa Group, says: "The growing demand for our more sustainable flying options confirms that we are on the right track. Every contribution from our passengers increases the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels in our network and reduces CO₂ emissions. We continuously develop our portfolio to make more sustainable flying even easier and more attractive. We are demonstrating that this is not just a vision, but already an established option today."

The Green Fares introduced in spring 2023 have played a key role in raising awareness of more sustainable travel options and making them more attractive. To date, more than four million passengers have opted for a Green Fares ticket, making an important contribution to more sustainable travel. Green Fares are special fares that include a contribution to saving future CO₂ emissions in the amount of the estimated individual flight-related CO₂ emissions, in addition to other features. Since the end of January 2026, the Green Fares have also been available for group bookings of more than nine people on long-haul flights operated by Lufthansa Group Airlines in all travel classes.

More sustainable offers for corporate customers and freight transport
Corporate customers also benefit from the Lufthansa Group's offers. For example, companies can purchase larger quantities of SAF through so-called SAF bulk deals. With an investment of €2,000 or more, they receive a Scope 3 certificate for CO₂ savings in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol Standard. This not only strengthens their company's commitment to the environment but also promotes the further development and use of SAF in the aviation industry. Across all corporate customer products, more than 1,680 companies worldwide have invested in SAF with the Lufthansa Group in 2025.

Lufthansa Cargo corporate customers can also opt for more sustainable freight transport with the “Sustainable Choice” add-on service. The optional service can be easily booked via the Lufthansa Cargo homepage and combines the subsequent use of SAF with a contribution to high-quality climate protection projects. Logistics companies are also increasingly concluding SAF bulk deals, which Lufthansa Cargo offers for purchase quantities of 100 metric tons of SAF or more.

Five levers of the Lufthansa Group for more sustainable flying
The diverse range of offers for private travelers and corporate customers, together with fleet modernization, continuous improvement in fuel efficiency in flight operations, the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and the expansion of intermodality, are one of five levers with which the Lufthansa Group is promoting more sustainable flying. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has been actively supporting global climate and weather research for more than 30 years.

Background: Use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and the Lufthansa Group's climate project portfolio
Through the options offered by the Lufthansa Group for more sustainable flying, customers support both the use of SAF and climate protection projects in the Lufthansa Group's home markets and other countries around the world. The Lufthansa Group ensures that the required amount of SAF is fed into the airport infrastructure within six months of purchase. SAF is a so-called “drop-in” fuel: SAF is compatible with fossil kerosene and can be easily blended with it. Booking an option for more sustainable flying does not result in individual SAF refueling of the booked flight but supports the comprehensive use of SAF in the Lufthansa Group's route network. Viewed over its entire life cycle, the SAF used by the Lufthansa Group, which is made from biogenic residues, has an annual average CO₂ footprint that is at least 80 percent lower than that of conventional kerosene made from fossil crude oil. SAF, which is part of the Lufthansa Group's offerings for customers for more sustainable flying, is purchased by the Lufthansa Group in addition to mandatory SAF quotas.
All projects in the Lufthansa Group's climate project portfolio are certified according to the highest available standards – for example, the “Gold Standard,” which is recommended by the German Environment Agency, among others. These projects prevent CO₂ emissions outside the aviation industry or remove them from the atmosphere. The portfolio also includes technology-based projects. In this way, the Lufthansa Group aims to promote the development of new technologies and offerings with long-term binding of CO₂.

Real-time flight path data supports more efficient use of airspace: Lufthansa Group upgrades Airbus A320 fleet

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 11:14:18 +0100

For greater efficiency and lower CO₂ emissions: Lufthansa Group is retrofitting its existing Airbus A320 fleet to optimize flight routes. Starting in 2026, 134 Airbus A320s will be equipped with the FANS-C digital communication system. The ADS-C EPP (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Contract Extended Projected Profile) technology automatically transmits 4D flight path information – i.e., data on position, altitude, direction, and time – to air traffic control in real time. This allows flight routes to be better adapted to actual conditions in the air. The result: more fuel-efficient flight routes, lower CO₂ emissions, and greater punctuality.

The new technology is already in regular use in Maastricht airspace (MUAC), which is the first airspace in Europe to meet all the requirements for this. The Lufthansa Group is working with other air traffic control authorities to ensure that fuel-efficient flying can be implemented as quickly as possible in more and more European airspaces. This includes, for example, flight trials in collaboration with French air traffic control. From 2028, the new technology must be installed ex-factory in all newly delivered aircraft and ATC ground systems in the EU. With the complete retrofitting of its existing A320 aircraft, the Lufthansa Group is exceeding legal requirements and is once again leading the way in the introduction of innovative technologies. Nearly 200 retrofitted and upgraded aircraft of the A320 family will be in service for the Lufthansa Group in 2028.

"We are focusing on digitalization to make flying even more efficient. The retrofitting of our Airbus A320 fleet is a strong sign of innovation and responsibility. We are delighted that the EU is taking this step together with us. Only if all partners in the industry make their systems fit for the future in time will Europe soon be able to benefit from a better-connected and thus more sustainable airspace," says Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer of the Lufthansa Group.

Retrofitting the existing fleet as the next logical step
The new technology for transmitting flight path information in real time automatically transmits 4D flight path information generated by the aircraft's flight management system to air traffic control at any time. This so-called 4D flight trajectory describes the further course of a flight in three spatial dimensions (latitude, longitude, and altitude) and time as the fourth dimension. Based on this more precise information about the further flight path of an aircraft, air traffic control can manage airspace more efficiently and optimize the aircraft's route.

Back in 2024, the Lufthansa Group decided to equip all new additions to its A320neo fleet with FANS-C technology and is now taking the next logical step by retrofitting its existing fleet. The measures are being supported by the European Commission with up to 50 percent funding as part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program. The new technology is currently certified for aircraft in the Airbus A320 family and the Airbus A330neo.

Important building block for forward-looking flight path optimization
ADS-C EPP technology is an important first step toward implementing the Trajectory Based Operations concept, which aims to enable dynamic adjustment and optimization of flight paths in daily operations with the participation of all system partners involved. The Lufthansa Group has made its implementation a strategic priority. The retrofitting of more than 130 aircraft in the Group's fleet is one of a wide range of measures taken by the Lufthansa Group to increase fuel efficiency in flight operations and underlines its commitment to more sustainable aviation.

Five levers of the Lufthansa Group for more sustainable flying
The continuous improvement of fuel efficiency in flight operations, combined with fleet modernization, the use of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), a wide range of options for private travelers and corporate customers for more sustainable flying, and the expansion of intermodality, is one of five levers with which the Lufthansa Group is promoting more sustainable flying. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has been actively supporting global climate and weather research for more than 30 years.

Miles & More introduces new incentives for more sustainable flying with miles and Points for CO2-offsetting packages

Thu, 25 Sep 2025 13:47:16 +0200

Miles & More, the loyalty program of the Lufthansa Group, now awards miles and Points for more sustainable flying with bookable CO₂-offseting packages. By choosing to fly more sustainably, customers can now achieve the desired frequent flyer status more quickly.

Since 2023, Miles & More members have been able to earn extra miles and Points when booking the Green Fares tariff. This is now also possible with CO₂-offsetting packages, which can also be redeemed with miles that have already been earned. With this step, Miles & More aims to encourage its customers to make more sustainable travel choices and thus contribute personally to climate protection.

“Responding to our passengers' wishes with a wide range of services”

The offers include the full offset of calculated individual flight-related CO₂ emissions: through the subsequent use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and a contribution to the Lufthansa Group's high-quality climate project portfolio. Depending on the SAF share booked, up to 80 percent more Points and Qualifying Points and up to 20 percent more HON Circle Points can be collected when choosing a CO₂-offseting package in addition to the Points credited for the flight. The higher the SAF proportion, the more Points are credited. Additionally, members can earn up to 6 miles per 1 euro spent. This allows them to reach their status or desired reward faster. The new offering complements the awarding of miles and Points for the Green Fares, which have been bookable since 2023: When booking this flight tariff, Miles & More members benefit from up to 20 percent additional miles and Points already today.

“We want to further raise awareness among our customers for more sustainable flying,” says Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer Lufthansa Group. “Our goal is to respond to our passengers' wishes with a wide range of offers and to provide them with attractive benefits. By choosing to make their flights more sustainable, Miles & More members can benefit from additional miles and Points and achieve their status or desired award faster. With our numerous offers for more sustainable flying, we at the Lufthansa Group are global pioneers.”

Flexibility and ease of use

CO₂-offseting packages can be booked directly during flight booking, before departure in the personal booking area, and even after the flight on the websites of Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Lufthansa, and SWISS. They can also be booked after the flight via the Miles & More app or on miles-and-more.com. Additional miles and Points are now automatically awarded for all newly booked additional packages. If Miles & More members booked a CO₂-offseting package for their flights since January 2025, the corresponding miles and Points will also be credited retroactively. This offers Miles & More customers maximum flexibility.

Both the CO₂-offseting packages and the Green Fares as a separate tariff option enable passengers to offset their calculated flight-related CO₂emissions through the subsequent use of SAF and a contribution to the Lufthansa Group's high-quality climate project portfolio. The calculation of flight-related emissions per passenger considers various factors such as flight distance, average fuel consumption, travel class, and load factor. Increasingly, guests are choosing the Lufthansa Group's diverse offerings for more sustainable travel: currently, nearly five percent.

Further information can be found here:

https://www.miles-and-more.com/de/de/program/flight-benefits/sustainability.html

Background on the use of SAF and the Lufthansa Group's climate project portfolio

There is no refueling of individual flights with pure SAF. As a so-called "drop-in" fuel, SAF is compatible with fossil kerosene and can be easily blended with it. Before being transported to the airport, SAF is mixed with fossil aviation fuel (blending) or produced through co-processing (joint processing of biogenic residues with crude oil) and then transported to airports in Europe where the Lufthansa Group refuels large quantities of kerosene. The Lufthansa Group ensures that the amount of SAF required to offset individual CO₂emissions is fed into the Lufthansa Group's flight operations within six months of purchase. Over its entire lifecycle, the SAF used by the Lufthansa Group from biogenic residues has a CO₂footprint at least 80 percent lower than conventional kerosene from fossil crude oil.

The Lufthansa Group relies on a differentiated climate project portfolio for CO₂ compensation. It is continuously developed and currently includes 18 projects. These are included in the portfolio in varying proportions and costs. The providers are myclimate, Climate Austria, SQUAKE, Ceezer, and ClimatePartner. All projects are certified according to the highest available standards, such as the Gold Standard. In addition to nature-based projects, the portfolio also includes three technology based projects: One project for the capture of CO₂ and long-term storage in concrete and two projects for CO₂ removal with biochar. In this way, the Lufthansa Group aims to promote the development of the CO₂ compensation market towards new technologies and offers with technically induced long-term binding of CO₂.

Lufthansa Group and Airbus collaborate for business travel with SAF

Wed, 18 Jun 2025 11:05:04 +0200

The Lufthansa Group has been working on sustainable transformation in aviation for many years and offers companies a wide range of customized options for more sustainable flying. Now, the Lufthansa Group is entering into an agreement with Airbus in the field of more sustainable business travel. Since June 1, the “Sustainable Corporate Value Fare“ has been used by Airbus for all Lufthansa flights taken by its employees within Germany. This Lufthansa Group business fare enables offsetting of parts of the calculated CO₂ emissions through the subsequent use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel in future flight operations.

Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer Lufthansa Group, says:
“Together with our customers and strong partners from the industry, we strive towards greater sustainability. I am particularly pleased and thankful that our long-standing partner Airbus has opted for a corporate fare with SAF, demonstrating its leading role also in the field of sustainability. For many companies and its employees, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important factor in travel decisions. As a leading airline group, we are the partner of choice for companies in achieving their goals with tailor-made solutions.”

Raphael Duflos, Vice President Corporate Services Procurement at Airbus declares:

“We have been working in close cooperation with Lufthansa Group since early 2024 to customize their ‘Sustainable Corporate Value Fare’ to meet the specific needs of Airbus travelers. They have helped us to create a meaningful offer incorporating Sustainable Aviation Fuels, starting in the German domestic market. We are confident that such ‘Sustainable Corporate Value Fare’ is going to be successful across the Business Travel ecosystem.”

Customized options for more sustainable flying with SAF

The Lufthansa Group offers several special fares for corporate customers: With the “Sustainable Corporate Value Fare”, business customers can offset up to 30 percent of the CO₂ emissions calculated for their individual flight through the use of SAF in flight operations. The Lufthansa Group also offers companies the opportunity to invest in larger quantities of SAF through SAF bulk deals.

Background: The use of SAF in the Lufthansa Group

There is no refueling of individual flights with pure SAF. As a so-called "drop-in" fuel, SAF is compatible with fossil kerosene and can be blended with it without any problems. Before being transported to the airport, SAF is blended with fossil jet fuel or produced in a process known as co-processing (joint processing of biogenic residues with fossil oil) and then fed into the airport infrastructure. The Lufthansa Group ensures that the amount of SAF required to offset individual CO₂ emissions is fed into the Lufthansa Group's flight operations within six months of purchase. Over its entire life cycle, the SAF from biogenic residues used by the Lufthansa Group has a CO₂ footprint that is around 80 percent lower than that of conventional kerosene made from fossil crude oil.

Lufthansa Group uses artificial intelligence to reduce food waste

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 11:24:55 +0200

With the “Tray Tracker,” the Lufthansa Group has developed an innovative, AI-supported solution to measure and reduce onboard meal returns. The mobile technology scans meal returns from the onboard catering of flights at the dishwashing line. Artificial intelligence recognizes whether a meal has been partially eaten, completely eaten, or left untouched. The flight route, travel class, and meal concept are also included in the analysis. The insights gained will enable optimized portion sizes and meal selection in the future. In addition, the “Tray Tracker” will contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions in the future, as avoiding overload reduces the total weight. At the same time, less food is transported, used, and disposed of.

Lufthansa has been using the innovation at its Frankfurt site for almost a year. The AI has also recently started scanning trays in Munich. In the future, the Tray Tracker is also set to be used at other Lufthansa Group locations and airlines. The innovative mobile device was developed by the Lufthansa Group Digital Catering Analytics Team in cooperation with Lufthansa Group subsidiary zeroG.

Another machine learning-based project by the Lufthansa Group to prevent food waste is called “Pendle.” Launched by the Lufthansa Innovation Hub in 2024, the initiative uses algorithms that analyze data points such as flight duration, flight route, and previous demand to optimize loading. Long-term, the aim is to link the two projects.

More environmentally friendly onboard products
The Lufthansa Group is pursuing various measures and projects to reduce food waste on board as much as possible and optimize loading. Passengers on Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, and SWISS short- and medium-haul flights can pre-order their preferred meal and, with the “to go” offer, purchase all fresh products at a reduced price on the last flight of the day. Premium class passengers on intercontinental flights with the airlines mentioned above can select their main course before departure from the hubs. This measure also helps to reduce food waste caused by overloading. In addition, the focus is on switching from single-use plastic and aluminum to more sustainable alternatives. Since 2022, a third of these items have been replaced on board.

30 years of climate research on scheduled flights: Lufthansa Group collects data for science on more than 35,000 measurement flights

Mon, 09 Dec 2024 13:01:30 +0100

Over the past 30 years, the Lufthansa Group has collected important climate-relevant data for research on more than 35,000 regular passenger flights. Currently, up to three aircraft take off every day in the service of atmospheric and climate research. The next measurement flight will be Discover Airlines flight 4Y56 from Frankfurt to Orlando. The Airbus A330-300 with the registration D-AIKE is scheduled to take off today at 4:45 p.m. (LT) and will collect climate data continuously at an altitude of more than 10,000 meters over a distance of around 7,600 km in about 10 hours and 45 minutes. The Lufthansa Group has been a reliable partner for climate research since 1994. The company has continuously expanded its commitment to climate and weather research over the long term. The Lufthansa Group will continue to contribute to a better understanding of the climate in the future.

Over the last three decades, the Lufthansa Group, in collaboration with its research partners at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Jülich Research Center (FZJ), has equipped passenger aircraft in its fleet with scientific measuring instruments that collect information about the state of the atmosphere on regular scheduled flights. With these unique measurement data, scientists can refine existing climate models and improve weather forecasting models.

Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer Lufthansa Group, says:
“We are proud to have been able to make a significant contribution to climate research for 30 years. The further development of aviation is deeply rooted in the DNA of the Lufthansa Group, and it is our aspiration to play a leading role in the development of new technologies. It inspires me to see the passion and experience with which Lufthansa Group colleagues continuously discover new ways to advance research. Through our commitment, we are helping to sustainably improve climate models and weather forecasts. Scientifically sound findings are the basis for targeted measures on the path to more sustainable aviation.”

Starting signal 30 years ago: Lufthansa's commitment to climate research
Lufthansa's 100th Airbus aircraft entering service in 1994 marked the beginning of the company's commitment to climate research. The anniversary aircraft, an Airbus A340-300, was equipped with a compact measurement system for the MOZAIC research project (Measurement of Ozone, Water Vapor, Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Oxides by Airbus In-Service Aircraft). Together with another converted Airbus A340-300, Lufthansa collected measurement data for MOZAIC every day until 2014. The measurement flights were preceded by a preparation phase of about one year, during which the research partners installed the measuring instruments on the aircraft together with Airbus and Lufthansa.

About 300 organizations use the data collected by the Lufthansa Group
The Lufthansa Group has also been involved in the MOZAIC follow-up project IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) from the very beginning. The world's first IAGOS system has been in use since 2011 in Lufthansa's Airbus A340-300 “Viersen”
(D-AIGT). In 2015, the second IAGOS system was installed at Lufthansa on another Airbus A330-300 (D-AIKO). The third IAGOS aircraft of the Lufthansa Group, also an Airbus A330-300 (D-AIKE), has been flying for Discover Airlines since 2022.

As a unique European research infrastructure, IAGOS, under the leadership of the Jülich Research Center, combines the expertise of partners from research, weather services, the aviation industry and airlines.

The data collected daily is automatically transmitted to the central database of the CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) research center in Toulouse after each flight. It is freely and openly accessible for global research and is currently used by around 300 organizations worldwide. They help researchers to gain new insights into climate development and the composition of the atmosphere, to identify long-term changes, to refine climate models and to improve weather forecasts.

Lufthansa Group research fleet is growing
For the flagship project IAGOS-CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the regular Investigation of the atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container), the Lufthansa Group, together with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, is currently converting the state-of-the-art Lufthansa long-haul Airbus A350-900 “D-AIXJ” (named “Erfurt”) into a flying research laboratory in a multi-year and globally unique project.

A measuring laboratory weighing a good two tonnes and specially developed for the project is currently being set up. Around 20 measuring instruments will be installed in the laboratory, which will later be installed in the cargo hold of the “Erfurt” on selected flights and connected to the air intake system on the outer fuselage of the aircraft via permanently installed pipes. At the end of 2025, this fully automated high-tech laboratory is scheduled to take off for the first time and, on selected flights in Lufthansa's worldwide scheduled operations, to measure more than 100 different trace gases, aerosol and cloud parameters from the ground up to the tropopause region at altitudes of nine to thirteen kilometers, in addition to passenger transportation. Between 2004 and March 2020, the Lufthansa Airbus A340-600 “Leverkusen” (D-AIHE) had already completed around 500 measurement flights for IAGOS-CARIBIC in the service of climate and atmospheric research.

With the combination of a flying measurement laboratory on the D-AIXJ and a total of ten aircraft in the IAGOS fleet, including three from the Lufthansa Group, IAGOS is tapping into an enormously valuable treasure trove of data for both long-term atmospheric observations and the elucidation of important atmospheric processes. The evaluation of the extensive measurement data has led to over 480 peer-reviewed scientific publications to date, including several articles in the high-ranking journals of Nature and PNAS since 2015. In 2014, the flying CARIBIC laboratory was able to make an important contribution to the detection of three previously undetected chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the main contributors to the so-called hole in the stratospheric ozone layer.

With the measurement data collected by the Lufthansa Group and other airlines, it has also been possible to build up a unique global database on the very important greenhouse gases water vapour and ozone across all the projects mentioned.

Continuous contribution to improving weather forecasts
A large part of the Lufthansa Group fleet is also equipped with the AMDAR system (Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay). This records important meteorological data measured by the aircraft, such as temperature and air pressure. These data are used, for example, by the German Meteorological Service (DWD) for the daily weather forecast. Since 2015, Lufthansa has also equipped nine Airbus A321 aircraft with a WVSS-II humidity sensor (Second-Generation Water Vapor Sensing System) and provides the DWD with additional data on water vapor content in the atmosphere, which is important for weather modeling.

Broad research commitment to avoid long-lasting contrails
A current research focus of the Lufthansa Group, together with partners from science and industry, is to better understand the effects of non-CO₂ emissions from aviation and to develop countermeasures.

The Lufthansa Group is a partner in the research project D-KULT (Demonstrator Climate and Environmentally Friendly Air Transport), which is funded by the German government's aviation research program and coordinated by the German Aerospace Center (DLR). At the same time, SWISS is actively involved in the European research project CICONIA (Climate effects reduced by Innovative Concept of Operations - Needs and Impacts Assessment). Among other things, these two coordinated projects are investigating how well areas with a high tendency to form climate-impacting contrails can be predicted and how this information can be incorporated into flight planning and air traffic management.

In this context, Lufthansa and Lufthansa Cargo are also participating in a test flight program together with other industry players as part of the D-KULT project. A prototype developed by Lufthansa Systems for climate-optimized flight planning is also being used.

Images: Lufthansa Group Media Lounge

Together with Hong Kong International Airport, Lufthansa Group to launch Upstream Check-In Service in 8 ports of the Greater Bay Area

Mon, 02 Dec 2024 03:39:04 +0100

Since September 30^th, Lufthansa Group has offered its guests the innovative Upstream Check-In (UCI) service in 8 ports of the Greater Bay Area. This service enables passengers who fly with Lufthansa German Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines to complete immigration, check-in and baggage tagging in 8 ports, namely 6 ferry ports and 2 land ports, before heading to the SkyPier, located in the restricted area of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Seamlessly, passengers can then proceed directly to the boarding gates without clearing immigration and customs procedures in Hong Kong. Importantly, Upstream Check-In is also available for Lufthansa Group’s passengers who hold flight tickets from Europe to Greater Bay Area.

With UCI, passengers can collect the baggage at the final destinations, as no baggage reclaim, and further airline check-in, are required. The minimum connection time at the HKIA SkyPier Terminal is then shortened from 110 minutes to approximately 80 minutes.

Mr. Frank Naeve, Lufthansa Group Senior Vice President Sales & Distribution attended today’s launch ceremony in Shenzhen Shekou Port and explained, “Our group is heavily investing in modernizing our fleet with the acquisition of state-of-the-art long-haul aircrafts. But that’s not all, we are working continuously to improve our customer experience including the opening of new lounge facilities, offering new catering concepts as well as enhancing the digital experience for our customers. Overall, we are investing more than € 2.5bn in Product & Services by 2025.”

Lufthansa Group aims to further enhance the passenger experience and expects to serve around 20,000 passengers with this new service on yearly basis.

Mr. Felipe Bonifatti, newly appointed Vice President Asia Pacific & Joint Ventures East, Lufthansa Group as well as Ms. Qian Chen, Senior Director Sales Greater China, Lufthansa Group also attended the kick-off ceremony of the UCI launch in Shenzhen.

Currently, Lufthansa Group offers direct flights from Hong Kong to Frankfurt, Germany and Zurich, Switzerland both on daily basis. To enjoy the convenient UCI service and purchase a ferry ticket, passengers are required to present valid air tickets of Lufthansa Group with confirmed seats departing from HKIA. The 8 ports in Greater Bay Area includes Zhongshan, Shenzhen Shekou, Guangzhou Nansha, Dongguan Humen, Guangzhou Pazhou, Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal and Hong Kong–Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Zhuhai Port, Hong Kong–Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Macau Port.

Furthermore, Lufthansa Cargo has strong presence in South China as well and has added Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport to its freighter network and serviced it twice a week since this July.

About Lufthansa Group

The Lufthansa Group is an aviation group with operations worldwide. With 100,000+ employees, Lufthansa Group generated revenue of €35.4bn in the financial year 2023. Our largest business segment is Passenger Airlines while other key business segments include Logistics and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO). Other companies and Group functions such as IT companies and Lufthansa Aviation Training form complimentary components of the Group. All airlines and business segments play leading roles in their respective markets.

Now available worldwide: more sustainable flying with Green Fares

Wed, 27 Nov 2024 14:59:11 +0100

The Lufthansa Group is expanding its successful tariff for more sustainable flying to long-haul flights and thus to its global route network. The Green Fares will be bookable in all travel classes for more than 850,000 flights per year from December 4. The more sustainable ticket already includes offsetting of individual flight-related CO₂ emissions. The Green Fares are part of the Lufthansa Group's growing portfolio of more sustainable travel offers.

As the first airline group worldwide, the Lufthansa Group has been offering Green Fares for short and medium-haul routes for about two years. Following a successful test run on selected intercontinental routes, the fare can now be booked regularly on long-haul routes, adding an additional option to the Lufthansa Group's existing fare structure.

Since the launch of Green Fares in February 2023, more than two million passengers have already opted for the tariff and offset almost 190,000 tonnes of CO₂ by offsetting their flight-related CO₂ emissions. This amount corresponds to the CO₂ emissions of more than 1,300 flights from Munich to New York with an Airbus A350.

Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of the Lufthansa Group, explains: “We have set ourselves ambitious goals to make flying more sustainable. To achieve this, we are investing billions of euros every year in new aircraft and pioneering technologies, among other things. With our innovative Green Fares, we are also involving our customers and offering them – as the first airline group worldwide – the opportunity to actively contribute to more sustainable aviation on more than 850,000 flights. Extending Green Fares to the Lufthansa Group's global long-haul network is an enormously important and consistent step – not only for us, but for the entire aviation industry.”

Grazia Vittadini, Chief Technology Officer Lufthansa Group, says: “The Lufthansa Group has always contributed to the progress of aviation. As the first airline group worldwide, we have been offering our own tariff for more sustainable flying already for two years. With success: demand is continuously increasing. In addition to technological solutions, we are focusing on innovative offers for our customers to make flying more sustainable. With the Green Fares, we are now offering a solution worldwide that shows that more sustainable flying is already a reality today, also through the use of SAF. We will continue to lead the way in transforming the industry.”

What's behind the Green Fare tariff
With just one click, Green Fares offer a more sustainable way to fly, because the fare already includes the full offsetting of the individual, flight-related CO₂ emissions: through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and a contribution to the Lufthansa Group's high-quality climate project portfolio. The composition of the two components differs depending on the distance of the route. For flights within Europe and to North Africa, the following applies: a 20 percent reduction in CO₂ emissions is achieved through SAF, while the remaining 80 percent is offset through climate protection projects. On intercontinental routes, 10 percent of CO₂ emissions are reduced through SAF and the remaining 90 percent are offset through contributions to climate projects. The Green Fare tariff also offers additional miles and points, as well as the option to rebook free of charge.

The Green Fares are available for flights operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Edelweiss, Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti. The only exceptions are flights operated by other airlines and individual routings in selected traffic areas of joint venture partners. Eurowings also offers a tariff for more sustainable flying under the name PlanetBlu.

The Lufthansa Group continues to expand its offers for more sustainable flying
The Lufthansa Group continues to expand its offers and services for more sustainable flying. Passengers can opt for CO₂ offsetting with other fares as well: during the booking process, after completing it in their personal booking area, and even after the flight has already taken place. Customers can choose between different packages, each of which offers full offsetting of CO₂ emissions through the use of SAF and a contribution to climate protection projects. Currently, around four percent of the Lufthansa Group passengers use an option for more sustainable flying.

Background: CO₂ reduction with SAF & the Lufthansa Group climate project portfolio
There is no refueling of individual flights with pure SAF. As a so-called "drop-in" fuel, SAF is compatible with fossil kerosene and can be blended with it without any problems. Before being transported to the airport, SAF is mixed with fossil aviation fuel (blending) and then fed into the airport infrastructure. The Lufthansa Group ensures that the amount of SAF required to offset individual CO₂ emissions is fed into the Lufthansa Group's flight operations within six months of purchase. Over its entire life cycle, the SAF from biogenic residues used by the Lufthansa Group has a CO₂ footprint that is around 80 percent lower than that of conventional kerosene made from fossil crude oil.

The Lufthansa Group's CO₂ offsetting portfolio currently includes 19 projects from the providers myclimate, Climate Austria, SQUAKE and ClimatePartner. Lufthansa Group passengers contribute to the overall portfolio and not to individual projects in the portfolio. All projects are certified according to the highest available standards. For example, the Lufthansa Group uses Gold Standard certificates. This standard is recommended by the German Federal Environment Agency, among others. The portfolio also includes four technology-based projects. In this way, the Lufthansa Group aims to promote the development of the CO₂ offsetting market towards new technologies and offers with long-term commitment of CO₂.

By Train and by Plane: Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn announce record figures

Mon, 25 Nov 2024 04:23:39 +0100

Since the beginning of the year, 432,000 travelers have chosen to use Lufthansa Express Rail to and from Frankfurt Airport. This means that the previous year's result was exceeded by 28 percent in October 2024. By the end of the year, a total of more than 500,000 bookings have been confirmed. Never before in the more than 20-year cooperation between Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn (DB) have so many travelers opted for the joint offer as in 2024.

Due to the high demand, the range of feeder destinations to Frankfurt Airport – one of the largest airports in Europe – is being steadily expanded: this year it has grown by 4 to a total of 28 cities within Germany. New to the list are the cities of Augsburg, Siegburg/Bonn, Wolfsburg and Essen. This means that more than twice as many cities will be connected by Lufthansa Express Rail than Lufthansa currently does by flight. Thanks to the large number of Sprinter connections, passengers can travel faster between the metropolises with shorter journey times. In addition to the domestic German connections, the cooperation also relies on an international connection between Munich Central Station and Zurich Airport, with a possible boarding in Bregenz, Austria. This ideally complements the offer to the hub of the Lufthansa Group Airline SWISS. The number of feeder trains is also increasing: DB and Lufthansa are offering more than 240 daily ICE connections with a Lufthansa flight number (codeshare numbers).

Michael Peterson, DB Board Member for Long-Distance Passenger Transport: "More and more people are taking advantage of a climate-friendly journey to their flight. Together with Lufthansa, we are delighted with the passenger record. The networking of the two modes of transport, rail and air, is very much in vogue. Our intermodal offering is growing continuously – our passengers benefit greatly in particular from the ICE Sprinter network with extra-fast connections between the metropolises."

Dieter Vranckx, Member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG: "We are constantly expanding our cooperation with Deutsche Bahn and thus offering our customers flexible travel options. With additional connections, an increased frequency and more comfort, we have made the Lufthansa Express Rail service attractive to more and more guests in recent years. Connecting air and rail even better in the future will only be possible with an efficient and modern infrastructure. We could offer our customers even better travel and transfer services at the Lufthansa hub in Munich if the airport were connected to Deutsche Bahn's long-distance services. That is why Munich urgently needs an ICE connection. “

Lufthansa and Deutsche Bahn are continuously focusing on the expansion of joint offers for trains to flights. For more than 20 years, the cooperation between the two partners has enabled Lufthansa customers to purchase a combined ticket for train and flight with just one booking step.

In addition to Lufthansa Group airlines, other Star Alliance airlines are now also using the Lufthansa Express Rail service. This is made possible by Deutsche Bahn's membership as an intermodal partner of the Star Alliance. And the program will be further strengthened: For example, United Airlines has been using the Lufthansa Express Rail service since the end of last year and other Star Alliance airlines will follow.

Lufthansa Express Rail – advantages at a glance:

Fast, comfortable and flexible from 28 cities by train to Frankfurt Airport > overview of all cities see infographic
Optimal connections with short transfer times from train to flight
Authorization to use the Fast Lane at Frankfurt Airport
Free rebooking in case of delay
Large overhead bins on the latest generation of trains
Special AiRail terminal for baggage check-in and reclaim at Frankfurt Airport
Priority handling of Express Rail customers' suitcases at Frankfurt Airport
One ticket, two boarding passes – for ICE and connecting flight
Free Wi-Fi on the train
Mileage credit also for the train journey
Access to DB lounges for business and First Class customers
Bookable via all Lufthansa sales channels.

About Lufthansa Group

ESG ratings: Lufthansa Group again achieves top rankings

Thu, 21 Nov 2024 10:59:21 +0100

Independent sustainability analysts and rating agencies regularly assess the activities of the Lufthansa Group according to ESG criteria (Environmental, Social, Governance). In two important ESG ratings, the Lufthansa Group has now once again been attested a strong ESG performance:

MSCI ESG Rating: “AA” rating for the third year in a row
The internationally recognized US rating agency MSCI has reanalyzed the Lufthansa Group's sustainability management and, for the third year in a row, given it an “AA” rating well above the industry average in the MSCI ESG Rating (rating scale AAA (best rating) to CCC). The MSCI ESG Rating identifies companies that are particularly committed to sustainability. In the current assessment, the Lufthansa Group continues to play a leading role in ESG among the 21 airlines analyzed by MSCI ESG Research. The Lufthansa Group has been included in the MSCI Global Sustainability Index since 2015.

ISS ESG Corporate Rating: “Industry Leader” and “Prime Status” confirmed
In the ISS ESG Corporate Rating 2024, the Lufthansa Group is one of two airlines to have once again been awarded “Prime Status” with a “C+” (rating scale A+ (best result) to D-). This places it in the group of “Industry Leader” among a total of 49 airlines rated. Prime status is awarded to leading companies in their respective industries that have performed well in the rating process according to an evaluation of over 300 industry-specific ESG criteria.

First place in the DVFA Scorecard for Corporate Governance 2024
In the analysis of MDAX companies published at the end of October by the German Association for Financial Analysis and Asset Management (DVFA), the DVFA Scorecard for Corporate Governance 2024, the Lufthansa Group received the rating “very good” with an overall score of 85.80 percent, putting it in first place. The DVFA annually assesses the governance quality of DAX, MDAX and SDAX companies.

Successful CDP ranking already at the beginning of the year
Already at the beginning of 2024, the Lufthansa Group received the top rating of “A-” in the renowned CDP climate ranking for the second year in a row for its CO₂ reduction strategy and implementation (rating scale from “A” (best result) to “D-”). The climate ranking of the non-profit organization CDP is considered the global gold standard for environmental reporting.

The Lufthansa Group's experts carefully evaluate the ratings and the classification of the sustainability indices with the aim of further improving the company's performance.

Comprehensive ESG reporting
Responsible business practices are an integral part of the Lufthansa Group's corporate culture and firmly anchored in its corporate strategy. The Lufthansa Group's ESG reporting is continuously developed in line with nationally and internationally recognized reporting standards. In addition to the legally required non-financial declaration and the EU Taxonomy Regulation, the Lufthansa Group also reports voluntarily in accordance with TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) and SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board). These reports, including the CDP report, can be viewed on the website of the Lufthansa Group.

Lufthansa Group pursues ambitious sustainability goals
The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection goals and is consistently working to achieve them. By 2030, the aviation group wants to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures. The reduction part of the 2030 target was validated by the independent Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in August 2022. By 2050, the Lufthansa Group aims to achieve a neutral CO₂ balance through reduction and compensation measures. For effective climate protection, the Lufthansa Group relies in particular on continuous fleet modernization, the ongoing optimization of flight operations, the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and offers for private travelers and corporate customers to make air travel or freight transport more sustainable. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has been actively supporting global climate and weather research for many years.

Excellent environmental management: Lufthansa Airlines and Lufthansa CityLine receive EMAS seal of approval again

Tue, 09 Jul 2024 11:09:26 +0200

Lufthansa Airlines at the hubs in Frankfurt and Munich as well as Lufthansa CityLine have once again been successfully validated in accordance with the demanding European EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) regulation. The airline is thus setting an important example of corporate environmental responsibility.

The external EMAS environmental report confirms the continuous development of the environmental management system and its in-depth implementation. Through audits and inspections, an independent and comprehensive picture of the processes is drawn up as part of an assessment and a comprehensive insight into the employees' understanding of values is provided in discussions with department specialists.

"The renewed EMAS validation is of great importance for Lufthansa Airlines and Lufthansa CityLine. Through the collective integrated validation, we are jointly driving forward sustainability issues in different business areas. We are taking responsibility here with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of flying and always using the resources we need as efficiently as possible," says Jens Ritter, CEO of Lufthansa Airlines.

EMAS is a system for environmental management and environmental auditing developed by the European Union, the requirements of which companies can adapt voluntarily. The company's environmental management system is reviewed in detail by external auditors.

EMAS at Lufthansa Airlines

In 2000, Lufthansa CityLine was the first airline worldwide to adopt an environmental concept and receive the demanding EMAS seal of approval. In 2018, Lufthansa Airlines introduced a certified environmental management system at its Munich site and merged it with Lufthansa CityLine in 2022. The Frankfurt site was added in December 2023. This year, the joint audit and validation for the Frankfurt and Munich sites was completed for Lufthansa Airlines and Lufthansa CityLine for the first time and a joint environmental statement was published.

LINK: Environmental Statement

A total of around 40 environmental coordinators works in the individual departments at Lufthansa Airlines and Lufthansa CityLine. They ensure that the environmental organization is broadly positioned and that technical environmental concerns are consistently advanced.

Significant measures from the environmental program have been implemented. One example of this is the "Reduced Engine Taxi-In" procedure, which involves switching off one or more engines after landing on the apron, thereby contributing to the most efficient flight operations possible. By applying this measure and establishing it as a standard procedure for the Airbus A320 fleet, up to 2,750 tons of kerosene can be saved each year. In addition to improvements in flight operations, the 2023 environmental program also achieved successes in reducing waste on board. The option for passengers on intra-European flights to pre-order meals before departure, which has been in place since the beginning of 2023, allows for better planning of the production and loading of fresh products, thereby reducing waste on board.

In addition to these already implemented measures, Lufthansa Airlines is also focusing on the important topics of the future. Together with the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Airbus, MTU Aero Engines and Munich Airport, Lufthansa Airlines is planning a technology cooperation for power-to-liquid (PtL) fuels. Within this framework, a letter of intent has been signed to pool the strengths of leading aviation companies and the scientific community. The aim is to accelerate the technology selection, market launch and industrial scaling of PtL fuels in Germany.

Lufthansa Airlines: responsible corporate behavior

In accordance with its basic orientation, Lufthansa Airlines continuously initiates projects and measures with the goal of reducing the environmental effects of flying and always using the required resources as efficiently as possible.

For effective climate protection, Lufthansa Airlines, as part of the Lufthansa Group, relies on accelerated fleet modernization, the continuous optimization of flight operations, the use and further development of sustainable aviation fuels and offers for private travelers and corporate customers to make air travel more sustainable. In addition, Lufthansa Airlines has actively supported global climate and weather research for many years.

Lufthansa Group pursues ambitious sustainability goals

The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection targets and is aiming for a neutral carbon footprint by 2050. By 2030, the aviation group aims to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures. The reduction target was validated by the independent Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) in August 2022.

To systematically improve its environmental performance, the Lufthansa Group continuously advances the implementation of environmental management systems in the Group companies. For example, SWISS's environmental management system was recently validated for the first time in accordance with EMAS for the reporting year 2023. Austrian Airlines was also successfully validated again for 2023. The Italian airline Air Dolomiti, which belongs to Lufthansa Airlines, has also been EMAS validated.

Lufthansa Group introduces Environmental Cost Surcharge

Tue, 25 Jun 2024 11:30:31 +0200

The Lufthansa Group is introducing an Environmental Cost Surcharge. The surcharge is intended to cover part of the steadily rising additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements. These include the statutory blending quota of initially two percent for Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) for departures from European Union (EU) countries from January 1, 2025, adjustments to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) as well as other regulatory environmental costs such as the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA).

The Environmental Cost Surcharge applies to all flights sold and operated by the Lufthansa Group departing from the 27 EU countries as well as the UK, Norway and Switzerland. The amount of the surcharge varies depending on the flight route and fare and is between 1 euro and 72 euros. The Environmental Cost Surcharge will be levied on all tickets issued from June 26, 2024 and applies to departures from January 1, 2025. The exact amount of the Environmental Cost Surcharge is shown on the Lufthansa Group Airlines booking pages in the price details.

The Lufthansa Group invests billions in new technologies every year and works together with partners on innovations that help to make flying more sustainable step by step and drive the scaling of key technologies beyond the Lufthansa Group. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has actively supported global climate and weather research for many years. However, the airline group will not be able to bear the successively increasing additional costs resulting from regulatory requirements in the coming years on its own. Part of these expected costs for the year 2025 are now to be covered by the new Environmental Cost Surcharge.

The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection targets and is aiming for a neutral CO₂ balance by 2050. By 2030, the aviation group aims to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures. For effective climate protection, the Lufthansa Group is focusing in particular on accelerated fleet modernization, the continuous optimization of flight operations, the use of SAF and offers for private travelers and corporate customers to make air travel or the transport of freight more sustainable.

Background information

SAF quotas of the EU

As part of its "Fit for 55" climate protection program, the EU has decided on mandatory SAF blending quotas that will increase over the years up to 2050. The SAF quota is to be 2 percent from 2025, 6 percent from 2030, 20 percent from 2035 and 70 percent from 2050. For the Lufthansa Group, this will lead to additional costs in the billions in the future.

EU-ETS

In the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) for aviation, CO₂ emissions have been controlled and limited by means of certificate trading since 2012. The Lufthansa Group is subject to this system for all flights within the European Economic Area (EEA). Additional obligations to surrender emission certificates exist under the emissions trading systems of Switzerland (CH-ETS) and the United Kingdom (UK-ETS) for flights between the EEA, Switzerland and the UK.

CORSIA

Under the agreement on climate protection reached by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in October 2016 - the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) - growth-related CO₂ emissions in international aviation have been offset by the purchase of certificates since 2021. All emissions from the aviation industry that exceed the CO₂ emissions of the baseline defined by the ICAO are offset. For the years 2024 to 2035, this amounts to 85 percent of the emissions from 2019.

One year of Green Fares at the Lufthansa Group: More than one million passengers choose new fare for more sustainable travel

Mon, 18 Mar 2024 12:26:36 +0100

One year after the launch of Green Fares at the Lufthansa Group, more than one million passengers have already opted for the new fare. In the first year, an average of three per cent of passengers have used the offer, making an important contribution to more sustainable travel. In Business Class, Green Fares tickets are already selected for eleven per cent of bookings via the Lufthansa Group portals. Green Fares are particularly popular on routes such as Hamburg-Munich, Zurich-London and Frankfurt-Berlin. Demand continues to rise steadily in all booking classes, underlining the success of the more sustainable fare. In total, travelers have offset more than 77,000 tonnes of CO₂ since the launch of Green Fares by offsetting their flight-related CO₂ emissions. This amount corresponds to the CO₂emissions of more than 12,000 flights from Hamburg to Munich with an Airbus A320neo.

The Green Fares are available with Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, SWISS, Edelweiss, Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti on more than 730,000 flights per year within Europe and to Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The Lufthansa Group has also been testing Green Fares on selected long-haul routes since November 2023.

How the Green Fares work

The Green Fares fare in Europe and to North Africa has added an additional selection option to the Lufthansa Group's fare structure, which has been in place since 2015. This product for more sustainable flying includes the full offsetting of individual, flight-related CO₂ emissions by Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as well as a contribution to high-quality climate protection projects. With SAF, a reduction of 20 percent of CO₂ emissions is achieved, while the remaining 80 percent is compensated by climate protection projects. The Lufthansa Group ensures that the amount of SAF required for offsetting is fed into the airport infrastructure within six months of purchase. As a drop-in fuel, SAF is mixed with fossil fuel before being transported to the airport. For operational reasons, it is not possible to refuel individual selected flights.

The Lufthansa Group's CO₂ compensation portfolio currently comprises 15 projects, including two technology-based projects: Carbon Cure's Sustainable Concrete (carbon capture and long-term storage in concrete) and Biochar (CO₂removal with biochar). In this way, the Lufthansa Group aims to promote the development of the CO₂ compensation market towards new technologies and offers with long-term binding of CO₂.

Four per cent of passengers use offers for more sustainable travel
The Lufthansa Group is continuously developing its offers and services for private travelers and corporate customers to offset flight-related CO₂ emissions and is a global pioneer in this area. Currently, around four percent of Lufthansa Group passengers use one of the various offers for more sustainable flying. The company offers opportunities along the entire travel chain. In addition to choosing a special fare such as the Green Fares, passengers can also select individually tailored offers with a higher proportion of SAF, for example, during the booking process. It is also possible to offset flight-related CO₂ emissions during or after the flight. In addition to private customers, more and more corporate customers are also using one of the Lufthansa Group's offers for more sustainable flying: in 2023, more than 1,500 companies worldwide invested in SAF with the Lufthansa Group.

Lufthansa Group pursues ambitious sustainability goals
The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection goals and aims to achieve a neutral CO₂ balance by 2050. Already by 2030, the Lufthansa Group wants to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures. The reduction share of the 2030 target was validated by the independent Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in August 2022. The Lufthansa Group was the first airline group in Europe with a science-based CO₂ reduction target in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. For effective climate protection, the Lufthansa Group is focusing in particular on accelerated fleet modernization, the continuous optimization of flight operations, the use of SAF and offers for its private travelers and corporate customers to make air travel or the transport of freight more sustainable. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has been actively supporting global climate and weather research for many years. The Lufthansa Group's commitment to sustainability is rated positively and above the industry average by independent rating organizations. The company recently received the top "A-" rating in the renowned CDP climate ranking for its CO₂ reduction strategy and implementation for the second year in a row.

Lufthansa Group again receives top rating in the renowned CDP climate ranking

Thu, 29 Feb 2024 11:00:14 +0100

In the global climate ranking 2023 of the non-profit organization CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project), the Lufthansa Group has once again received a top rating for its CO₂ reduction strategy and its implementation. On a scale from "A" (best result) to "D-", the company was placed in the highest ranking band for the second year in a row with a scoring result of "A-". The top rating confirms the Lufthansa Group's global pioneering role in its commitment to more sustainable aviation. CDP has awarded the Lufthansa Group top marks for reporting in the following assessment categories: Scope 1 & 2 (direct emissions & indirect emissions from purchased energy), Scope 3 (indirect emissions within the supply chain), measures to reduce emissions and low-emission products as well as the disclosure of risks and opportunities.

CDP climate ranking regarded as the global gold standard
CDP is a global platform for the disclosure of information on the sustainability of companies, cities and regions. The Lufthansa Group has been participating in CDP reporting since 2006 and thus informs relevant interest groups continuously and transparently about its strategy and measures to reduce CO₂ emissions. Every year, CDP uses a standardized process to collect information on CO₂ emissions, sustainability strategies and targets from more than 23,000 companies, representing around two thirds of global market capitalization.

In the field of environmental reporting, the London-based organization’s climate ranking is regarded as the global gold standard. CDP is a partner of the independent Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). The data collected is also used to a large extent in other assessments by leading rating agencies. Experts from the Lufthansa Group carefully analyze the company's performance in ratings and sustainability indices with the aim of further improving the company's performance.

Lufthansa Group pursues ambitious sustainability goals
The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection goals and aims to achieve a neutral CO₂ balance by 2050. Already by 2030, the Lufthansa Group wants to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures. The reduction share of the 2030 target was validated by SBTi in August 2022. The Lufthansa Group was the first airline group in Europe with a science-based CO₂ reduction target in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. For effective climate protection, the Lufthansa Group is focusing in particular on accelerated fleet modernization, the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), the continuous optimization of flight operations, and offers for its private travelers and corporate customers to make a flight or the transport of cargo more sustainable. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has been actively supporting global climate and weather research for many years.

Excellent environmental management: Lufthansa Airlines at Frankfurt hub receives EMAS seal of approval

Thu, 14 Dec 2023 10:15:36 +0100

The Lufthansa Airlines hub in Frankfurt has been successfully validated for the first time in accordance with the demanding European EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) regulation. Lufthansa Airlines is thus also setting an important example of corporate environmental responsibility at its Frankfurt location.

The auditor particularly emphasized the successful integration of the Frankfurt site into the environmental management system already in place at the Munich hub. The motivation of the employees and environmental coordinators was also expressly praised.

"We are very pleased about this important step that we were able to achieve with the successful implementation. A professionally implemented and structured environmental management system leads to systematic and sustainable improvements. Our employees are also highly committed to our environmental goals," says Jens Ritter, CEO of Lufthansa Airlines.

EMAS is a system for environmental management and auditing developed by the European Union, whose regulation companies can adapt voluntarily. In this process, the company's environmental management system is reviewed in detail by external auditors.

EMAS at Lufthansa Airlines
Lufthansa Airlines introduced a certified environmental management system at its Munich location back in 2018. In May 2023, the airline had itself audited and validated again according to EMAS together with Lufthansa CityLine. Now the Frankfurt site is being added, and with that Lufthansa Airlines is publishing a joint environmental statement for both sites and Lufthansa CityLine. Link: https://www.lufthansagroup.com/en/responsibility/climate-environment/environmental-management.html

Lufthansa CityLine was the first airline worldwide to adopt an environmental concept 23 years ago. The Italian airline Air Dolomiti, which belongs to Lufthansa Airlines, is also EMAS-validated.

Following the successful introduction of the environmental management system at the Frankfurt site, Lufthansa Airlines will undergo a joint validation process for the two hub sites in Munich and Frankfurt, including Lufthansa CityLine, in 2024 and drive forward the efficient design of the environmental management system.

Lufthansa Airlines: “We take off to take care”
In accordance with its basic orientation "We take off to take care", Lufthansa Airlines continuously initiates projects and measures with the aim of reducing the environmental impact of flying and always using the resources required as efficiently as possible. For effective climate protection, Lufthansa Airlines as part of the Lufthansa Group relies on accelerated fleet modernization, the continuous optimization of flight operations, the use and further development of sustainable aviation fuels and on offers for private travelers and corporate customers to make air travel more sustainable. In addition, Lufthansa Airlines has actively supported global climate and weather research for many years.

Lufthansa Group joins Airbus’ carbon-removal initiative

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 17:19:52 +0100

The Lufthansa Group signed a contract with Airbus on the pre-purchase of verified and durable carbon-removal credits of 40,000 tonnes of CO₂. A promising solution for reducing CO₂ in the atmosphere, Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) technology filters CO₂ from the air and stores it permanently. The Lufthansa Group began exploring this innovative process at an early stage and deems it perfectly complementing the Group’s sustainability strategy.

The carbon-removal credits will be issued by Airbus through its ACCO (Airbus Carbon Capture Offer) service. The certificates will be available from 2026 and an annual purchase of carbon-removal credits of 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ has been agreed on over a period of four years. The signing of the contract follows a joint declaration of intent from 2022.

“The Lufthansa Group is strongly committed to making air transport more sustainable and achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This includes billion-euro investments in continuous fleet modernization and our strong commitment to Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Technical CO₂ removal solutions, like advanced and direct carbon capture and storage processes, will play a complementary role in achieving our decarbonization goals,” said Caroline Drischel, Head of Corporate Responsibility at the Lufthansa Group.

“The Lufthansa Group was one of the very first aviation companies to work with Airbus to explore the potential of direct air carbon capture and storage solutions,” said Nicolas Chrétien, Head of Environment & Sustainability at Airbus. “As the aviation industry moves towards net zero CO₂-emissions by 2050, carbon removal will play an important role in addressing remaining emissions. We are very pleased to go one step further with the Lufthansa Group and keep up the momentum to make decarbonized air travel a reality.”

This is how DACCS technology works

Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage is a high-potential technology that involves filtering CO₂ emissions directly from the air using high powered fans. Once removed from the air, the CO₂ is stored deep underground in geologic saline formations. As the aviation industry cannot capture CO₂ emissions released into the atmosphere at source, a direct air carbon capture and storage solution would allow the sector to extract CO₂ emissions from its operations directly from atmospheric air. In addition to the comprehensive measures that companies are taking to reduce CO₂ emissions, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), carbon removal is required to support the achievement of net-zero targets.

Additionally, the Direct Air Carbon Capture technology will be an important building block for the production of next-generation Sustainable Aviation Fuels. For SAF production from renewable energies with the innovative Power-to-Liquid or Sun-to-Liquid technologies, for example, CO₂ is captured from the atmosphere and processed further. For this, a Direct Air Capture infrastructure will be needed. In IATA’s Infrastructure Roadmap, the development and the promised success of SAF are closely linked to the adoption of Direct Air Capture infrastructures. The Lufthansa Group is involved in numerous initiatives to bring these promising next generation SAF technologies to market maturity.

The Airbus carbon-removal initiative is based on Airbus’ partnership with 1PointFive that includes the pre-purchase of carbon-removal credits of 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ to be delivered over four years. The US-based company is working closely with leading organizations to develop practical pathways to achieve global climate targets.

Lufthansa Group pursues ambitious sustainability goals

The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection goals and aims to achieve a neutral CO₂ balance by 2050. Already by 2030, the Lufthansa Group wants to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures. The reduction share of the 2030 target was validated by the independent Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in August 2022. The Lufthansa Group was the first airline group in Europe with a science-based CO₂ reduction target in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. For effective climate protection, the Lufthansa Group is focusing, in particular, on accelerated fleet modernization, the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), the continuous optimization of flight operations, and offers for its private travelers and corporate customers to make a flight or the transport of cargo more sustainable. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has been actively supporting global climate and weather research for many years. The Lufthansa Group's commitment to sustainability is rated positively and above the industry average by independent rating organizations.

Lufthansa Group and LGE Travel Forge Groundbreaking Sustainability Partnership

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 15:56:00 +0100

Lufthansa Group is pleased to announce a historic partnership with Singapore-based LGE Travel, marking a significant milestone in its commitment to sustainability in aviation. This partnership with LGE represents the highest-ever Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) bulk deal for Lufthansa Group in the Asia-Pacific region. It not only marks a monumental step towards sustainable practices but also signifies a pivotal moment as the first-ever bulk SAF deal in Singapore. Lufthansa Group is proud to spearhead such an innovative partnership aimed at reshaping the future of aviation in the Asia Pacific region.

LGE Travel is a leisure travel agency and an advocate for sustainable travel initiatives. A specialist in global group touring, they have consistently demonstrated unwavering support for the shared vision of a more sustainable future in aviation and their commitment to sustainability resonates deeply with Lufthansa Group's ethos.

“We are proud and honored to be the first travel agency in Singapore to be part of the committee driving towards more sustainable travel with Lufthansa Group.”, Mr. Benny Ho, Managing Director, LGE Travel.

As the first agency in Singapore to sign a bulk SAF deal, LGE Travel takes a proactive approach to embracing sustainable practices, aligning with the increasing demand for leisure travel in the local Singaporean market.

"Partnering with LGE Travel is a testament to our shared commitment to promoting sustainability within the aviation industry," remarked Mr. Philipp Bonkatz, General Manager Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, Lufthansa Group. "This deal not only marks a significant achievement in our sustainability endeavors but also paves the way for future collaborations aimed at redefining the aviation landscape, both globally and more specifically in the Asia Pacific region."

By embracing both innovation and sustainability, Lufthansa Group and LGE Travel are dedicated to shaping a more responsible and eco-friendly future for the aviation industry, paving the way of more mindful travel for generations to come.

Further information about Lufthansa Group's numerous programs and initiatives for more sustainable flying can be found here.

About Lufthansa Group

The Lufthansa Group is an aviation group with operations worldwide. With 109,000+ employees and generated revenue of EUR 32,770m in financial year 2022. By 2030, the Lufthansa Group aims to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through both reduction and compensation measures. By 2050, Lufthansa Group further aims to achieve a neutral CO₂ balance.

Lufthansa Group tests Green Fares on intercontinental routes

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 16:22:00 +0100

The Lufthansa Group is extending its Green Fares to long-haul flights. Initially, the fare will be tested on 12 selected flight routes from November 30. The selection includes connections between Lufthansa Group hubs and various destinations around the world including two routes from North America. From the Lufthansa Group hubs, for example, Frankfurt - Bengaluru, Brussels - Kinshasa, or Zurich - Los Angeles are offered. And anyone booking flights with Lufthansa Group airlines, for example from London to Hong Kong or Paris to Bangkok, via the airlines' hubs, will also automatically be shown the Green Fares tariff. The Lufthansa Group also offers Green Fares for routes with connecting flights. This broad selection addresses different target groups.

Simple, easy-to-book and individual offers for more sustainable flying

"People want to fly and be mobile, they want to explore the world, visit friends and family or seal deals in person. The growing demand for our Green Fares show that more and more people want to travel as sustainably as possible. We support them with suitable offers. The Green Fares test on long-haul flights will provide us with important insights for the further development of our portfolio for more sustainable travel," said Christina Foerster, Member of the Lufthansa Group Executive Board responsible for Brand & Sustainability.

Harry Hohmeister, Member of the Lufthansa Group Executive Board responsible for Global Markets & Network, said: "The Lufthansa Group continues to expand its innovative services for more sustainable flying. We are pioneers worldwide with simple, easy-to-book and individual offers for our customers. I am delighted that we are now also offering Green Fares on selected long-haul flights on all hub airlines. This also clearly demonstrates the strength of our multi-hub and multi-brand strategy."

In February, the Lufthansa Group successfully introduced Green Fares for routes within Europe and to North Africa, and increasingly, more customers are booking the offer. Since the launch, more than half a million passengers have already opted for a Green Fares flight.

Further development of the CO₂ compensation portfolio

The fare includes full offsetting of individual, flight-related CO₂ emissions with just one click through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and a contribution to high-quality climate protection projects. With SAF, a reduction of 10 percent of CO₂ emissions is achieved, while the remaining 90 percent is offset through climate protection projects. The Lufthansa Group ensures that the amount of SAF required for offsetting is fed into the airport infrastructure within six months of purchase. Tagged as a "drop-in" fuel, SAF is mixed with fossil fuel before being transported to the airport. There is no refueling of individual flights with SAF. The Lufthansa Group's compensation portfolio is constantly being further developed and now comprises 15 projects, including, most recently, technology-based projects for the long-term binding of CO₂. In this way, the Lufthansa Group wants to promote the development of the CO₂ compensation market towards new technologies and offers. The providers are myclimate, Climate Austria, SQUAKE and ClimatePartner. All projects in the Lufthansa Group climate project portfolio are certified according to the highest available standards.

Twelve selected test routes

The Green Fares long-haul fare will be available on the following routes from the end of November. The Lufthansa Group airlines participating in the test are Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and SWISS, which offer the connections - if included in the respective route network - via their booking sites.

Zurich - Los Angeles (ZRH - LAX)
Frankfurt - Miami (FRA - MIA)
Sao Paulo - Zurich (GRU - ZRH)
Frankfurt - Bengaluru (FRA - BLR)
Munich- Seoul (MUC - ICN)
Brussels - Kinshasa (BRU - FIH)
Singapore - London (SIN - LHR/LCY)
Nairobi - Frankfurt (NBO - FRA)
Bangkok - Vienna (BKK - VIE)
Hong Kong - London (HKG - LHR/LCY)
London - Hong Kong (LHR/LCY - HKG)
Paris - Bangkok (CDG/ORY - BKK)

Lufthansa Group pursues ambitious sustainability goals

The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection goals and aims to achieve a neutral CO₂ balance by 2050. Already by 2030, the Lufthansa Group wants to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures. The reduction share of the 2030 target was validated by the independent Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in August 2022. The Lufthansa Group was the first airline group in Europe with a science-based CO₂ reduction target in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. For effective climate protection, the Group is focusing, in particular, on accelerated fleet modernization, the use of SAF, the continuous optimization of flight operations, and offers for its private travelers and corporate customers to make a flight or the transport of cargo more sustainable. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has been actively supporting global climate and weather research for many years. The company’s commitment to sustainability is rated positively and above the industry average by independent rating organizations.

Lufthansa Group tests Green Fares on intercontinental routes

Thu, 30 Nov 2023 10:00:00 +0100

The Lufthansa Group is extending its Green Fares to long-haul flights. As a first step, the fare will initially be tested on twelve selected routes for flights from November 30. The selection includes connections between Lufthansa Group hubs and various destinations around the world. The Lufthansa Group also offers Green Fares for routes with connecting flights. This broad selection addresses different target groups. From the Lufthansa Group hubs, for example, Frankfurt - Bengaluru, Brussels - Kinshasa, or Zurich - Los Angeles are offered. And anyone booking flights with Lufthansa Group airlines, for example from London to Hong Kong or Paris to Bangkok via the airlines' hubs, will also automatically be shown the Green Fares tariff.

Simple, easy-to-book and individual offers for more sustainable flying

"People want to fly and be mobile, they want to explore the world, visit friends and family or seal deals in person. The growing demand for our Green Fares fare shows that more and more people want to travel as sustainably as possible. We support them with suitable offers. The Green Fares test on long-haul flights will provide us with important insights for the further development of our portfolio for more sustainable travel," says Christina Foerster, Member of the Lufthansa Group Executive Board responsible for Brand & Sustainability.

Harry Hohmeister, Member of the Lufthansa Group Executive Board responsible for Global Markets & Network, says: "The Lufthansa Group continues to expand its innovative services for more sustainable flying. We are pioneers worldwide with simple, easy-to-book and individual offers for our customers. I am delighted that we are now also offering Green Fares on selected long-haul flights on all hub airlines. This also clearly demonstrates the strength of our multi-hub and multi-brand strategy."

In February, the Lufthansa Group successfully introduced Green Fares for routes within Europe and to North Africa and more and more customers are booking the offer. Since the launch, more than half a million passengers have already opted for a Green Fares flight.

Further development of the CO₂ compensation portfolio

The fare includes full offsetting of individual, flight-related CO₂ emissions with just one click through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and a contribution to high-quality climate protection projects. With SAF, a reduction of 10 percent of CO₂ emissions is achieved, while the remaining 90 percent is offset through climate protection projects. The Lufthansa Group ensures that the amount of SAF required for offsetting is fed into the airport infrastructure within six months of purchase. As so-called "drop-in" fuel, SAF is mixed with fossil fuel before being transported to the airport. There is no refueling of individual flights with SAF. The Lufthansa Group's compensation portfolio is constantly being further developed and now comprises 15 projects, including, most recently, technology-based projects for the long-term binding of CO₂. In this way, the Lufthansa Group wants to promote the development of the CO₂ compensation market towards new technologies and offers. The providers are myclimate, Climate Austria, SQUAKE and ClimatePartner. All projects in the Lufthansa Group climate project portfolio are certified according to the highest available standards.

Twelve selected test routes

Frankfurt - Bengaluru (FRA - BLR)
Munich- Seoul (MUC - ICN)
Brussels - Kinshasa (BRU - FIH)
Zurich - Los Angeles (ZRH - LAX)
Frankfurt - Miami (FRA - MIA)
Singapore - London (SIN - LHR/LCY)
Sao Paulo - Zurich (GRU - ZRH)
Nairobi - Frankfurt (NBO - FRA)
Bangkok - Vienna (BKK - VIE)
Hong Kong - London (HKG - LHR/LCY)
London - Hong Kong (LHR/LCY - HKG)
Paris - Bangkok (CDG/ORY - BKK)

Lufthansa Group pursues ambitious sustainability goals

The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection goals and aims to achieve a neutral CO₂ balance by 2050. Already by 2030, the Lufthansa Group wants to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures. The reduction share of the 2030 target was validated by the independent Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in August 2022. The Lufthansa Group was the first airline group in Europe with a science-based CO₂ reduction target in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. For effective climate protection, the Lufthansa Group is focusing in particular on accelerated fleet modernization, the use of SAF, the continuous optimization of flight operations, and offers for its private travelers and corporate customers to make a flight or the transport of cargo more sustainable. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has been actively supporting global climate and weather research for many years. The Lufthansa Group's commitment to sustainability is rated positively and above the industry average by independent rating organizations.

Lufthansa Group and Tata Communications forge sustainability partnership

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 08:18:49 +0100

Tata Communications, a global digital ecosystem enabler, has joined Lufthansa Group‘s Corporate SAF program with a bulk purchase of SAF for its corporate travel needs. The SAF agreement is the first of its kind by a corporate customer in India and Tata Communications has further communicated its interest of investing in SAF on a yearly basis. SAF is a decisive technological key to more sustainable flying. The SAF which is currently available and is used by Lufthansa Group is produced from biogenic residues, such as from used cooking oils. In its pure form, SAF from biogenic residues can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 80 percent compared to conventional fuel.

Lufthansa Group is strongly committed to more sustainable flying and is leading the way in transforming the industry. The Airline Group is one of the top 5 customers in SAF globally and offers a variety of products to its corporate clients for more sustainable flying. These range from bulk purchases of SAF to Sustainable Corporate Value Fares whereby corporate customers can offset 80% of their CO₂ emissions through high-quality compensation projects and 20% via SAF for intra-Europe traffic. Similarly, Tata Communications is committed to integrating environmental, social and ethical principles into their core business with a focus on sustainability and enhancing long term stakeholder value.

According to Elise Becker, Vice President Sales Asia Pacific & Joint Ventures East at Lufthansa Group:

“We are delighted that Tata Communications has chosen to invest in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in India: our first bulk SAF deal in the country. We will continue to grow our offering of products for more sustainable flying and shape the industry on this journey. It is an honour to partner with Tata Communications on their important and progressive initiatives.”

Kim Bybjerg, Vice President and Head of Continental Europe, Tata Communications, said, “At Tata Communications, we are committed to address the impacts of climate change and are aggressively working towards our goal of being Net Zero by 2035 across our global operations. To promote sustainable travel, we aim to offset our travel emissions by partnering with leading airlines like Lufthansa by investing in their SAF programme.”

“Furthermore, as a responsible corporate in the business of delivering hyperconnected solutions for our customers, we enable them with sustainable digital solutions helping them optimise energy consumption and reduce their carbon footprint. During FY 2022-23, 16x carbon emissions were saved by our customers compared to Tata Communications operational emissions in FY 2023. SAF is one of the priority sustainability initiatives in the travel space and we are keen to support the greener way of air travel.”

Further information about Lufthansa Group's numerous programs and initiatives for more sustainable flying can be found here.

About Lufthansa Group

The Lufthansa Group is an aviation group with operations worldwide. With 109,000+ employees and generated revenue of EUR 32,770m in the financial year 2022. Already by 2030, Lufthansa Group wants to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures. By 2050, Lufthansa Group aims to achieve a neutral CO₂ balance.

TATA COMMUNICATIONS and TATA are trademarks or registered trademarks of Tata Sons Private Limited in India and certain countries.

Background on the use of SAF:

There is no refueling of individual flights with pure SAF. As a so-called "drop-in" fuel, SAF is compatible with fossil fuel and can be blended with it without any problems. Before being transported to the airport, SAF is mixed with fossil fuel (blending) and then fed into the airport infrastructure. The Lufthansa Group ensures that the amount of SAF required to offset individual CO₂ emissions is fed into the Lufthansa Group's operations within six months of purchase

Lufthansa Group and HCS Group sign Letter of Intent on the production and supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) ‘Made in Germany’

Tue, 01 Aug 2023 11:00:00 +0200

The Lufthansa Group and the HCS Group have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to partner on the production and supply of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). From the beginning of 2026, the HCS Group could supply the Lufthansa Group with SAF produced in the so-called Alcohol-to-Jet (AtJ) technology. The SAF, made from biogenic residues from agriculture and forestry, will be produced at the HCS Group production site in Speyer, operated by Haltermann Carless. SAF is a key element for more sustainable flying and thus for decarbonization in aviation.

With its engagement in the HCS Group the Lufthansa Group could support SAF ‘Made in Germany’, compliant with Europe’s Renewable Energy Directive RED II. The production site is logistically favorably located near the Lufthansa Group's Frankfurt hub. The HCS Group offers sustainable hydrocarbon solutions to its customers. With the planned initial production volume of 60,000 metric tons of SAF per year, the chemical company aims to become the first large-scale producer of biogenic SAF in Germany.

The LoI with the HCS Group underpins the Lufthansa Group's goal of driving forward the market ramp-up and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels as a core element of its sustainability strategy. Today, the Lufthansa Group is one of the five largest SAF customers worldwide and is investing up to USD 250 million in the procurement of SAF for the coming years. In addition, the Lufthansa Group is working on numerous projects worldwide to increase SAF availability and is continuously examining further options for long-term purchase agreements.

SAF – the Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is the generic term for all aviation fuels that are produced without the use of fossil feedstocks such as crude oil and also meet sustainability criteria. There are various processes for the production of SAF - both with biogenic and non-biogenic feedstocks. The current SAF is mainly produced from biogenic residual materials such as used cooking oil. As a so-called "drop-in" solution, it is mixed with conventional kerosene before being transported to the airport. The maximum blending rate of SAF permitted under the fuel specification is currently 50 percent. In its pure form, SAF from biogenic residues can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 80 percent compared to conventional kerosene. The Lufthansa Group has been involved in SAF research for many years, has built up an extensive partner network and is driving forward the introduction of next-generation Sustainable Aviation Fuels in particular. Special focus is placed on SAF based on waste materials, renewable electrical energy (Power-to-Liquid, PtL) as well as on research into the direct use of sunlight for fuel synthesis (Sun-to-Liquid, StL).

Lufthansa Group pursues ambitious sustainability goals

The Lufthansa Group has set itself ambitious climate protection goals and aims to achieve a neutral CO₂ balance by 2050. Already by 2030, the Lufthansa Group wants to halve its net CO₂ emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures. The reduction goal for 2030 was validated by the independent Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in August 2022. The Lufthansa Group was the first airline group in Europe with a science-based CO₂ reduction target in line with the goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. For effective climate protection, the Lufthansa Group is focusing in particular on accelerated fleet modernization, the use of SAF, the continuous optimization of flight operations, and offers for its private travelers and corporate customers to make a flight or the transport of cargo more sustainable. In addition, the Lufthansa Group has been actively supporting global climate and weather research for many years.

Lufthansa in-flight service: more choice, more entertainment, more sustainability

Thu, 27 Jul 2023 10:49:00 +0200

Lufthansa's in-flight service is being expanded and will offer more choice, entertainment and sustainability in the future. Starting in mid-August, Business Class passengers on long-haul flights from Germany will be able to choose from a wider selection of main dishes as early as one month and up to 24 hours before departure. A total of six different regional and seasonal menus will be available for pre-selection. This makes for a relaxed flight and at the same time helps optimize food use and further reduce waste.

As early as 1 August, Lufthansa will be offering an expanded range of hot beverages in its Onboard Delights Service on European flights. A new, sustainable reusable cup made of recyclable plastic will be used, replacing the previous disposable cup with a plastic lid. In addition to high-quality, instant coffee specialties such as latte macchiato, three tea variants and hot chocolate will also be available for purchase in the new cup going forward. The passenger airlines of the Lufthansa Group have set themselves the goal of completely eliminating single-use plastic and single-use aluminum on board by 2025.

Another new feature on board Lufthansa long-haul flights is an expanded entertainment offering for kids and teens. In the future, the airline’s “e-journals” media library will offer young passengers an expanded age-appropriate reading selection in the Children's Media Box. It includes a wide range of journals and magazines in various languages that can be downloaded free of charge. Coloring pages are also available for the youngest passengers to help time waiting at the gate and their stay on board fly by. The new children's podcasts, which are now available free of charge in the FlyNet portal on short- and medium-haul flights, also contribute to this. The in-flight entertainment program for children has also been expanded for the summer months. More than 50 films and TV programs, as well as many audio programs, are available for young passengers on long-haul flights. Especially during the vacation season, children's TV programs and audio books can be accessed free of charge via QR codes at the Lufthansa gates and playgrounds in Terminal 2 in Munich and Terminal 1 in Frankfurt.

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