The European Green Deal has costs which, in the absence of bonuses and reliefs, have direct repercussions on consumers’ wallets. Because of the so-called “EU climate tax” which aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, airlines will raise the price of the airline tickets. She will be the first to move Lufthansa.
The European environmental plan
On the front of Polluting emissionsthe EU aims to reduce them by -55% by 2030 and ad eliminate them completely within 2050. Europe agrees to offset greenhouse gas emissions by undertaking green environmental plans such as planting trees or mechanically reabsorbing the CO2 emitted.
But that’s not all: the plan ReFuelEU Aviation prescribes that starting from 2025 all flights departing from a Union airport are obliged to use a minimum quota of Saf, Sustainable aviation fuel or sustainable aviation fuel. It’s about the 2% next year, 6% in 2030, 20% in 2035, 34% in 2040, 42% in 2045 and finally 70% in 2050.
Lufthansa airplanes at Frankfurt airport in Germany.
In short, the European Green Deal is not limited to the Green Homes Directive alone, which will have a significant impact on property owners in the coming years.
Lufthansa first to raise ticket prices
The increases in ticket prices will be applied, proportionally, on all national, international and intercontinental routes.
The first airline to move will be the German one Lufthansawhich his group also includes Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air Dolomiti and Eurowings.
FromJanuary 1, 2025 Lufthansa will introduce a environmental supplement at the basic ticket price for all flights departing from the 27 countries of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland.
The minimum price increase, for the shortest routes, will be 1 euro. The maximum price increase, for longer routes, will be 72 euros. The surcharge will be applied starting from the tickets purchased from June 26th for departures from 1 January 2025.
“The surcharge is intended to cover part of the constantly increasing additional costs due to regulatory environmental requirements,” the airline comments in a statement. “Climate protection requirements in the EU require billions of investments and Lufthansa cannot bear the costs alone.”
From choice to obligation
Until now, Lufthansa had allowed its passengers to pay a voluntary surcharge to offset C02 emissions. Only 4% of travelers have so far decided to support the so-called “green fares”. Now from the choice of a few we move to obligation for all.
The other airlines are moving
The Corriere della Sera reveals that other airlines will also raise their prices very soon. It’s about Air France-Klm And Iag (British Airways, Iberia).
Photo source: ANSA
