Lufthansa Cargo is aligning itself with Europe’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) mandate, but it’s also pushing back—arguing that the current framework risks undermining the competitiveness of EU carriers. As the 2025 deadline for a 2 percent SAF blend approaches, the German carrier is calling for a neutral regulatory approach or a carbon border adjustment to level the playing field.
“Blending mandates alone are insufficient to create a self-sustaining SAF market,” said Bettina Petzold, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Lufthansa Cargo. “The EU policy does not address the significant supply and price issues: biogenic SAF is only available in small quantities and costs three to five times more than fossil kerosene. In 2023, SAF could only cover around 0.2 percent of the fuel needed worldwide. Due to the limited supply, prices will remain high in the foreseeable future.”
The company also flagged disparities in the global playing field: “The current regulatory framework puts EU carriers at a significant competitive disadvantage in the global aviation market, particularly against competitors from the Gulf, the Bosporus, and China,” she noted. “Therefore, we demand a regulatory framework that is neutral regarding the EU’s SAF blending mandate, or the introduction of a fair Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism for airlines that evade the mandate. Additionally, we request political measures to ramp-up the SAF market.”
Carbon tracking at shipment level and scalable SAF deals
Lufthansa Cargo is not just lobbying—it is already deploying SAF in volume, backed by a layered offering for customers of all sizes.
“We offer three services that allow our customers to transparently and verifiably reduce their carbon footprint through the purchase of SAF,” said Petzold. “Our add-on service, ‘Sustainable Choice’, is available worldwide on all routes, for all capacities, and for all products. It enables us to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80%. This can already be done automatically and online. This offer is particularly interesting for project business and, in addition to our large customers, appeals to small and medium-sized forwarders as well.”
“In combination with ‘Sustainable Choice’, you can choose to offset emissions further. The Lufthansa Group’s providers for this include myclimate, SQUAKE and ClimatePartner.”
Bulk and charter deals are also on the table. “We also offer so-called SAF ‘bulk deals’ for larger purchases of 100 tons or more of SAF. In this case, the use of SAF is allocated to precisely identified transportation to avoid double-counting usage globally. Special SAF ‘charter deals’ are available for regular, recurring transport on precisely defined routes.”
Regardless of the model chosen, Petzold emphasised traceability: “We prioritise providing premium-quality SAF produced from biogenic residues, such as used cooking oils – not palm oil. Every purchase is officially certified by an external auditor. Anyone using Lufthansa Cargo SAF can rest assured that they are doing so in compliance with regulations.”
As for the scale of impact so far? “By using SAF and making a contribution to high-quality climate protection projects, around 8,500 tonnes of CO2 were saved in 2024,” she said.
The actual SAF share by route is still being calculated. “We will be able to make very specific statements on the SAF share on our routes in the first quarter of 2026.”
Data-driven optimisation and future-ready fleet
Digital tools are playing a growing role in Lufthansa Cargo’s carbon reduction strategy—especially in fuel efficiency.
“Our Fuel Efficiency Team utilises proprietary analysis software that enables comprehensive evaluation of fuel consumption across all flight phases,” said Petzold. “The use of such tools is essential for effective fuel monitoring – both in terms of flight safety and fuel efficiency. These applications are continuously being enhanced, with a strong focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning. This will generate even deeper analytical insights in the future.”
She added: “Additionally, we are currently implementing further analytic tools that resemble ‘digital twins’ and can predict kerosene consumption changes based on various external factors, such as modifications to aircraft that may affect fuel consumption. This technology, however, is still in the development phase.”
Lufthansa Cargo has already overhauled its fleet for climate performance. “Since October 2021, we have switched our long-haul fleet completely to the Boeing 777F – today’s most modern freighter with the best environmental performance in its class. Lufthansa Cargo currently operates a total of twelve Boeing 777Fs in its long-haul fleet. The company has also ordered seven B777-8 freighters from Boeing’s latest generation of wide-body freighters to be delivered by 2030. According to the manufacturer, this freighter model offers the opportunity to be around 13 percent more efficient than the 777F currently in service.”
“In addition to the fleet modernisation and deployment of SAF, we are also using other levers in the management of our flight operations, which target a reduction of our emissions by an additional 4 percent by 2030.”
System-wide approach to climate accountability
Lufthansa Cargo’s sustainability work is underpinned by a global environmental management system that’s been maturing since 2007.
“CO2 and noise data were already being recorded in the 1990s, which formed the basis for the subsequent introduction of the system. The aim was to deal with environmental issues in a structured manner and to establish clear responsibilities and processes,” Petzold explained.
“The first certification according to the international environmental standard ISO 14001 was obtained in 2008 at the Frankfurt site. By 2010, certification had been extended to all German stations, and in 2015 Lufthansa Cargo received global ISO 14001 certification. This can only be achieved together with our globally active environmental ambassadors, colleagues who are also environmental professionals on site and are familiar with the coordination of the relevant processes.”
The system evolves continuously. “The environmental guidelines were revised in 2012, 2016, and 2023 to take account of new developments. In 2024, the worldwide environmental management system was again recertified according to ISO 14001.”
The commitment also extends to granular emissions reporting. “We currently offer our customers individual CO2 reports on request, with the option of breaking them down to the level of each individual airway bill. We are in the process of converting these reports to ISO 14083, an international standard that defines a consistent methodology for quantifying and reporting greenhouse gas emissions from transport chain operations. As demand for these reports and transparency is increasing, we are investing in further automating our processes in this area.”
