The Lufthansa Group has entered into a partnership with Airbus to advance low-emission flying by using sustainable aviation fuel for more business flights.
Lufthansa has been working on sustainable transformation in aviation for many years. It offers companies a wide range of customised options for more flying, including the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Since 1 June, the ‘Sustainable Corporate Value Fare’ has been used by Airbus for all Lufthansa flights taken by its employees within Germany.
This enables offsetting of parts of the calculated CO2 emissions through the subsequent use of sustainable aviation fuel in future flight operations.
“We have been working in close co-operation with Lufthansa Group since early 2024 to customise their Sustainable Corporate Value Fare to meet the specific needs of Airbus travellers,” stated Raphael Duflos, Vice President Corporate Services Procurement at Airbus.
“They have helped us to create a meaningful offer incorporating SAF, starting in the German domestic market.”
He added: “We are confident that the Sustainable Corporate Value Fare is going to be successful for advancing sustainability across the business travel ecosystem.”
How is sustainable aviation fuel produced and used?
Currently, there is no refuelling of individual flights with pure SAF. As a so-called ‘drop-in’ fuel, sustainable aviation fuel is compatible with fossil kerosene and can be blended with it without any problems.
Before being transported to the airport, SAF is blended with fossil jet fuel or produced through a process known as co-processing (the joint processing of biogenic residues with fossil oil) and then fed into the airport’s infrastructure.
Lufthansa ensures that the amount of sustainable aviation fuel required to offset individual CO2 emissions is fed into its flight operations within six months of purchase.
Throughout its entire life cycle, the SAF from biogenic residues used by Lufthansa has a CO2 footprint that is approximately 80% lower than that of conventional kerosene derived from fossil crude oil.
Customised options for businesses
For corporate customers, Lufthansa offers several special fares that support sustainable flying.
With the Sustainable Corporate Value Fare, business customers can offset up to 30% of the CO₂ emissions calculated for their individual flight through the use of sustainable aviation fuel in flight operations.
Furthermore, companies are also offered the opportunity to invest in larger quantities of sustainable aviation fuel through SAF bulk deals.
Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of the Lufthansa Group, explained: “For many companies and their employees, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important factor in travel decisions.
“As a leading airline group, we are the partner of choice for companies seeking to achieve their goals with tailor-made solutions.”
He concluded: “I am particularly pleased and thankful that our long-standing partner Airbus has opted for a corporate fare with SAF, demonstrating its leading role also in the field of sustainability.”
