In a press release, the Lufthansa Group announced today that it will integrate the option to offset the carbon footprint of a flight into the ticket booking process. Lufthansa customers can now make use of the alternative, which will also be available to passengers of Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines, all of which are part of the Group, in the second quarter of the year.
According to the information, customers will receive three compensation options. They will be able to contribute to sustainable fuel projects, certified climate protection initiatives or opt for a combination of both. The optional payment will be made together with the ticket.
Offset programmes have become commonplace in the transport industry in recent times. In commercial aviation they function as a way of counteracting the environmental impact inherent to a flight. Many companies work together with reforestation or biodiversity protection projects in order to capture the carbon equivalent by the emitted by flights.
In the case of the Lufthansa Group’s initiative, the amount paid to offset emissions will go to projects run by the organisation myclimate, a leader in consulting and implementing such initiatives.
The option of choosing one of the options will soon also be available for transactions via the mobile app. In addition, it will have mileage accrual benefits in the future, according to the company.
Christina Foerster, Executive Vice President for Customers, IT and Corporate Responsibility at Lufthansa Group, said that the company offers «the most comprehensive range of products for carbon-neutral flying». She also highlighted the integration of the offset option into the booking process and said that «people not only want to fly and discover the world, they also want to protect it».
Since 2019, the Lufthansa Group itself has been offsetting emissions from its employees’ air travel through myclimate projects. However, so far only 1% of customers have chosen to do so.
In line with commitments made by the aviation industry in general, the Lufthansa Group declares to have the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Measures include fleet modernisation, optimisation of operations, increased use of sustainable fuels and offsetting initiatives.
