Lufthansa and Airbus: A Partnership to Fly Towards Sustainability

At a critical moment for the aviation industry, Lufthansa and Airbus have taken a strategic step in their environmental commitment. Since June 1, 2025, both companies have partnered to ensure that all domestic flights of Airbus employees in Germany are conducted under a corporate fare that incorporates SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel), a biofuel capable of reducing up to 80% of CO₂ emissions over its lifecycle (Saptakee, 2025).

The "Sustainable Corporate Value Fare" Model

This program allows companies like Airbus to reduce their carbon footprint through the equivalent use of SAF within Lufthansa's operations. Although SAF is not used on individual flights, it is integrated into the system within a six-month period, generating a real impact on the airline group's emissions (Saptakee, 2025).

Challenges and Opportunities of SAF

One of the most cited challenges is the high cost of SAF compared to fossil kerosene. According to Johnson Matthey (2024), SAF can cost between 2 and 7 times more than conventional fuel. Other analyses suggest this premium ranges between 2 and 10 times, and it is currently estimated to cost approximately 3 to 10 times more. This "green premium" is a significant barrier the industry must overcome to scale up usage. However, as production increases and feedstocks diversify, prices are expected to decrease.

Airbus has already invested in pilot programs with easyJet and Wizz Air and maintains partnerships with TotalEnergies, Neste, OMV, and LanzaJet. Its goal is for 30% of its internal fuel use to be SAF by 2030 and for all its models to be capable of flying with 100% SAF (Saptakee, 2025).

Lufthansa: A Multidimensional Decarbonization Strategy

Lufthansa is also advancing on several fronts: fleet modernization, operational efficiency, incentives for using trains for short distances, and carbon offset projects. In 2024, it reduced or offset 143,000 tonnes of CO₂, although only 4% of passengers opted for its "Green Fares" (Saptakee, 2025).

Critical Reflection

The Lufthansa-Airbus alliance demonstrates that sustainability can be integrated into corporate aviation without sacrificing functionality. However, it raises a key dilemma:

Should we wait for SAF to scale or start leveraging credible offset projects now?

Are offsets a valid bridge to net-zero aviation or merely a temporary solution?

Conclusion

For these types of initiatives to go beyond symbolism, they must be combined with ambitious public policies, transparent SAF traceability, and climate education in businesses and among travelers. Lufthansa and Airbus have set the example. Now it's time to see if the industry is ready to follow.

References

Saptakee, S. (2025, June 20). Greening the Aviation: Lufthansa and Airbus team up to cut business travel emissions using SAF. CarbonCredits.com. https://carboncredits.com/greening-the-aviation-lufthansa-and-airbus-team-up-to-cut-business-travel-emissions-using-saf/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=lufthansa-airbus-team-up&utm_content=jun-2025

Johnson Matthey. (2024, October 30). The price of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). https://matthey.com/en/news/2024/the-price-of-sustainable-aviation-fuel

Atlantica Energy. (2025). Biofuels 101: Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). https://www.atlanticaenergy.org/saf-overview

ScienceDirect. (2023). Sustainable aviation fuel technologies, costs, emissions, policies. Journal of Cleaner Production. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652623013806