Lufthansa offers climate-friendly fuel, but at a price

BERLIN – German airline Lufthansa is launching a website that allows customers to buy climate-friendly plane fuel to compensate for the emissions caused by their flight.

Lufthansa said Monday that the sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, purchased that way will be added to one of the airline’s flights, reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by 80%.

The aviation industry has come under fire from climate campaigners for its comparatively large carbon footprint, though airlines note that it constitutes only 2% of man-made emissions worldwide.

Lufthansa’s Compensaid service comes at a steep price. A single economy-class ticket from Frankfurt to New York is 374 euros ($414) more expensive if customers buy SAF, a synthetic form of kerosene.

Passengers who opt to donate toward reforestation measures instead pay a 165-euro surcharge for the same flight.