(Posted 16th February 2023)
Passengers contribute to purchase of sustainable aviation fuel with new ticket
Brussels Airlines’ passengers can now contribute themselves to reducing the carbon footprint of air travel for flights to and from Europe or North Africa. For those destinations, the airline, together with Lufthansa Group, is adding a new fare plan to its offer, called ‘Green Fare’.
The ticket is a bit more expensive, but the extra contribution allows Brussels Airlines to buy more sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). SAF in combination with new more fuel-efficient aircraft arriving in 2023 and 2024, should enable the Belgian airline to halve its overall CO2 emissions by 2030.
What started six months ago as a small but ambitious pilot project for flights to and from Scandinavia is well on its way to becoming the standard for air travel. That is, anyway, if it depends on Lufthansa Group and Brussels Airlines. The airline, together with the other Lufthansa Group airlines, is making it easier for passengers to help reduce the impact of flying on the environment. The new fare plan will also help the airline achieve its stated climate goals by drastically increasing the use of alternative and more sustainable fuels in the coming years. ? ?
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?Towards more sustainable aviation
?Lufthansa Group and Brussels Airlines’ new ‘Green Fares’ plan is part of Lufthansa Group’s ambitious goals to halve its net CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to 2019. Brussels Airlines, with the support of the group, is modernising its fleet with three new, more energy-efficient Airbus A320neos during 2023. Two more will arrive in 2024.
Next to fleet renewal, sustainable aviation fuels are today the most effective means of reducing emissions from air travel. Together with Lufthansa Group, Brussels Airlines has been investing for years in the production and use of so-called ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ (SAF).
These fuels reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%1 over the fuel’s lifetime compared to using fossil aviation fuel. The disadvantage is that those fuels are currently three to five times more expensive than conventional jet fuel. With the additional contribution from passengers through the new fare plan, Brussels Airlines will be able to buy more sustainable aviation fuel.
New fare plan offers passengers a choice to contribute
?With the launch of its new fare plan for all flights to and from Europe and North Africa, Brussels Airlines is raising widespread awareness among passengers that they, too, can help reduce the impact that flying has on our planet. Those who opt for a ‘Green Fare’ offset their CO? emissions and are also rewarded for doing so. For example, they can always rebook this more ecological airline ticket for free.
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New offer also for businesses
?Not only private travelers, but also corporate customers can now fly more sustainably within Europe and to and from North Africa via Brussels Airlines. Moreover, companies that choose the ‘Green Fare’ rate automatically receive a CO2 mitigation certificate after booking their flight. With this they can prove that their business flight has contributed to CO2 reduction in air traffic through sustainable aviation fuel.
Lufthansa Group’s reduction roadmap towards 2030 was validated by the independent Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in August 2022. This makes Lufthansa Group the first aviation group in Europe with a science-based CO2 reduction target in line with the 2015 Paris climate agreement targets.
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1When used in neat form (i.e. not blended) and calculated using recognized life cycle analysis methods, such as the CORSIA methodology.
