This airline is committed to enhancing the eco-friendliness of air travel.

While 83 percent of travelers express interest in eco-friendly transportation, only half make it a priority during planning, according to a Booking.com study. The Lufthansa Group facilitates worldwide travel with a smaller carbon footprint through its innovative use of technology, paving the way for a sustainable future in aviation.

The company's ambitious objectives aim to cut net carbon emissions in half from 2019 to 2030 and achieve a CO₂-neutral status by 2050. You can contribute to this mission by opting for more sustainable options such as Green Fares on any of the group’s airlines, which include flagship Lufthansa, SWISS, Edelweiss, Eurowings, Discover, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Air Dolomiti. Choosing Green Fares can lead to a 20 percent reduction in CO₂ emissions from your flights, representing crucial steps towards minimizing your carbon footprint.

How used cooking oil is harnessed to fuel more environmentally friendly flights

One of the key ways the Lufthansa Group leads in sustainable aviation is through its commitment to advancing the next generation of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) since 2012. As a major SAF consumer in Europe, the company was an early adopter of the first effective SAF, which is derived from organic waste, such as used cooking oils, mixed with kerosene (currently permitted in a maximum 50-50 ratio).

Pure SAF establishes a CO₂ cycle, leading to a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by about 80 percent throughout the fuel's lifecycle. Beyond utilizing SAF, the Lufthansa Group is actively involved in enhancing this technology by optimizing supply chains, advancing future production, and maximizing aircraft usage, emphasizing the necessity for advanced synthetic SAFs in the coming years.

Shark-inspired aerodynamics

The type of fuel used in airplanes is crucial, but aerodynamics significantly influences efficiency as well. To enhance airflow around the aircraft fuselage, the group partnered with BASF, a chemical coatings manufacturer, and sought inspiration from the ocean. AeroSHARK is a film that is only 50 micrometers thick (less than .002 inches) and is designed based on shark skin, utilizing air-channeling microgrooves known as riblets to reduce friction. This innovation improves fuel efficiency by over 1 percent while simultaneously cutting emissions by the same percentage.

Cost-efficient and scalable, this technology took to the skies in 2023 on all SWISS 777-300ERs and four Lufthansa Cargo 777Fs. This milestone represents the first occasion an airline has equipped its entire Boeing long-haul fleet with this efficiency-enhancing new 'skin.' As its application broadens, AeroSHARK could potentially save over 6 million tons of CO₂ annually if implemented across the global aircraft fleet.

Sustainable transportation for today

In addition to surface innovations, the Lufthansa Group is expanding its fleet with over 250 new aircraft in the next eight years. This fleet modernization is expected to cut fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions by as much as 30 percent on every flight, making it the most significant action to reduce the environmental footprint of flying today. The company has also implemented noise-reduction strategies such as adding vortex generators to lessen noise during the landing approach.

The Lufthansa Group is optimizing its operations by collaborating with Google Cloud to efficiently analyze the 10,000 data points generated every minute by each aircraft in operation. AI then provides recommendations—such as more efficient flight speeds or the appropriate aircraft sizes based on demand—for controllers to assess. In 2022 alone, SWISS flights reduced CO₂ emissions by 9,590 tons through the use of AI.

Innovations for a more sustainable future

Looking forward, the Lufthansa Group aims to be the first to utilize innovative sun-to-liquid fuel to further minimize CO₂ emissions. This process employs fields of mirrors to concentrate light into a tower, achieving temperatures exceeding 2,700°F to power a reactor. This converts biowaste from a local paper mill (methane and carbon dioxide) into renewable jet fuel—without the need for arable land or competing with food production. The method shows great efficiency potential due to its streamlined energy conversion process. SWISS plans to pioneer this technology, intending to blend initial volumes of solar fuel with kerosene by 2025.

Lufthansa Technik is leading the way in preparing for the ground supply of hydrogen-powered aircraft by conducting ground tests at its facilities in Hamburg. The team has retrofitted a decommissioned Airbus A320 with testing systems, an internal tank for liquid hydrogen (LH₂), and an onboard fuel cell for researchers to examine. One challenge they aim to overcome is the lengthy refueling process for long-haul aircraft using LH₂, which currently takes several hours, thus making quick turnarounds impractical.

Ways passengers can help promote sustainable air travel

Approximately 4 percent of customers booking with the Lufthansa Group opt to fly more sustainably. After selecting their flights, passengers have the option to support their preferred SAF, high-quality climate protection initiatives, or both. These Lufthansa offerings enable travelers to reduce or offset the CO₂ emissions associated with their flights, either before, during, or after their journey.

In early 2023, the company became the first airline group to offer Green Fares, which completely offset the CO₂ emissions associated with individual flights. So far, over 1 million travelers have chosen this option, available across Europe and on routes to North Africa. The reduction includes 20 percent from SAF, while the rest comes from compensation initiatives, including CarbonCure, which captures CO₂ in fresh concrete.

Another initiative features Biochar technology, which transforms landfill biomass, such as clean waste wood and forest debris, into a charcoal-like material that enhances plant growth and fosters beneficial microorganisms, thereby decreasing the dependency on soil-depleting fertilizers. This technology can increase crop and dairy production, alleviate food shortages, and help retain water to reduce drought risks.

In its inaugural year, Green Fares resulted in a reduction of 169,755,955 pounds of CO₂—equivalent to the emissions from 12,000 Airbus A320neo flights between Hamburg and Munich. Learn more about the group's dedication to climate and environmental sustainability.