Air France is adding a Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) levy to all tickets departing France from today.
The airline says that “French regulations require the incorporation of 1 per cent SAF on all fuels departing from France. As a result, a SAF contribution will be included in the price of each ticket, ranging from €1-4 in the economy cabin to €1.50-12 in the business cabin, depending on distance.”
The airline estimates that as a result of this, as well as voluntary contributions from corporate customers, over 15,000 tones of SAF will be used on its aircraft in 2022, around ten times more than the previous year.
Air France says that it is investing €1 billion annually in fleet renewal, and that between 2005 and 2019 it cut its CO2 emissions by six per cent, despite an increase in traffic. The airline is aiming for a 15 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions in 2030 compared with 2005.
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EDIT – KLM details now released
KLM is also adding the surcharge to flights departing Amsterdam Schiphol.
The airline says the prices will be an extra €1-4 in economy, and between €1.50- 12 in business class.
There is also the option to pay extra “to cover a percentage of the difference between regular fossil fuel and sustainable aviation fuel with the price… based on the carbon footprint of your trip and depending on multiple factors, such as the distance of your route and the aircraft type.” The price of this is in a range of between €20 and € 200. The option allows the passenger to choose whether to contribute fully to SAF or also to contribute to an offsetting reforestation project.
