The European constraints for the reduction of harmful emissions into the air will cause air tickets to increase by at least 1% in 2025. A share which – in the absence of a drop in the price of biofuels – is destined to increase significantly in the following years when carriers will be asked to put significantly more sustainable aviation fuel in aircraft tanks. This is what emerges from an analysis of Courier on updated fares from Lufthansa, the first carrier in Europe to announce the introduction of the environmental tax on flights from 1 January next year.
Mandatory biofuel on planes: what is «ReFuelEu»
The Community package «ReFuelEu» establishes that from 2025 all flights departing from an airport in the European Union will be obliged to use a minimum quota of sustainable aviation fuel (Saf): 2% already in 2025, 6% in 2030 , 20% in 2035, 34% in 2040, 42% in 2045 and 70% in 2050. Within this mandatory quota, however, the EU has decided to also include the presence of synthetic fuels (e-kerosene): 1.2% in 2030, 5% in 2035 and 35% in 2050.
Aviation Saf costs three times as much as kerosene
According to the latest estimates, SAF can cut harmful emissions by 60-80%. But as reported by IATA, the main international airline association, very little is produced: 0.53% of the sector’s needs for 2024. And with costs that, at the moment, are around three times that of traditional kerosene. European companies report that without a public contribution this will be a further advantage for non-EU rivals who will be able to offer cheaper fares as they have hubs outside the Union.
Airline ticket increases up to 72 euros (for now)
And so the airlines of the Old Continent began to announce the increase in prices starting from 1 January 2025. The first to do so publicly was Lufthansa which will introduce a price increase – from 1 to 72 euros per ticket, depending on the distance – on flights marketed and operated by the Lufthansa group departing from the 27 countries of the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway and Switzerland. Air France-KLM and IAG (British Airways, Iberia) will also do the same.
For airlines, 300 million euros in additional spending
“The climate protection requirements in the EU require billions of investments and Lufthansa cannot bear the costs alone,” comments the German group. In 2023 the European ski giant spent 7.93 billion euros on kerosene consumption. According to the estimates of Courier If the community standard on 2% SAF had already been in force, this would have resulted in Lufthansa spending a further 300 million euros on sustainable aviation fuel alone.
From Italy from 2 to 30 euros more per plane ticket
But what increases are we talking about specifically? The Courier carried out some simulations on flights – national, international and intercontinental, direct and with stopovers – of the Lufthansa group. A Milan Linate-Frankfurt flight in Economy on 13 January 2025 costs 140.23 euros, including the 2 euros for the “environmental supplement”. But anyone who takes the same flight, in Business class, will have to pay a 3 euro green surcharge. On a Milan-New York flight (via Frankfurt) the “supplement” amounts to 11 euros for those traveling in Economy, 16 euros for those who book Premium economy and 30 euros for those who opt for Business.
From Germany over 50 euros surcharge for flights
Leaving the Italian market and focusing on the German one, prices change slightly. A domestic flight Munich-Frankfurt has an “environmental supplement”, each way, of 1 euro (in Economy) and 1.5 euros (in Business). On the Frankfurt-New York route the extra goes from 9 euros (Economy) to 14 euros (Premium economy), then 27 euros (Business) up to 54 euros in First class. A longer route — from Frankfurt to San Francisco — sees an additional charge of 12 euros (Economy), 18 euros (Premium economy), 36 euros (Business) and 72 euros (First class).
The share of the total price of the airline ticket
But how much does the environmental supplement weigh on the total ticket? The calculations show a fluctuation between 0.3 and 1.4% of the overall price, with a median value of just under 1%. But this share is destined to rise precisely because the share of Saf present in the tanks will have to progressively increase.
