Lufthansa bolsters sustainability efforts for climate-neutral aviation future

As the UAE marks Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Lufthansa Group is stepping up its efforts aimed at making the future of aviation climate-neutral.
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The Group has been investing in climate-friendly planes and alternative fuels in addition to improving all aspects of flight operations through the adoption of sustainable practices and innovative technologies.

 

With the objective of building up an eco-friendly aircraft fleet, Lufthansa has undertaken the replacement of its older models with new, lower CO2 emission planes, including A350-900. In March 2019, the Group’s Supervisory Board approved the purchase of a total of 40 ultramodern long-haul aircraft for its airlines, with a list-price investment volume of $12 billion. Set to be delivered between late 2022 and 2027, 20 Boeing 787-9 and 20 additional Airbus A350-900 planes will replace the Group’s four-engine aircraft fleet.

 

The Group is also offering its customers the opportunity to be part of the ongoing sustainability initiatives by allowing them to purchase Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF)  for their trip. Keen to make Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) accessible to a broad audience, Lufthansa Innovation Hub has developed the Compensaid platform that will allow Lufthansa and SWISS passengers to allow the use of sustainable alternative fuels when booking their flights. The world's first online platform of its kind, which provides end customers with a transparent and rapidly effective way to offset their CO2 emissions when flying, calculates the price difference between SAF and fossil kerosene and customers only pay the surcharge for the innovative fuel.

 

Heinrich Lange, senior director sales, Gulf, Afghanistan and Pakistan Lufthansa Group, said: “Alongside the strong growth in our fleet, network and passenger numbers, our responsibility to be at the forefront of sustainable development of the aviation industry has been growing. With the objective of shaping future mobility in environmentally compatible ways, we have been actively pursuing a robust climate protection strategy. We have set an ambitious target of a 50 percent reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 as compared to 2005 and 2020 represents a major juncture in our journey to sustainability as we aim to increase fuel efficiency by 1.5 percent this year. We remain committed to exploring new avenues to bring our aviation sustainability drive to all our markets including the Middle East.”