Financing environmental goals Swiss introduces new fees - flights will be more expensive
Swiss flights will be more expensive from next year. The airline is introducing an environmental levy.
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- Swiss is introducing a new environmental levy.
- Passengers will be charged automatically.
- The charge will apply from January 2025.
The airline Swiss, together with other airlines in the Lufthansa Group, has introduced an environmental fee to finance its sustainability goals. This new fee will apply to all flights from airports in Switzerland, the EU, the UK and Norway from January 1, 2025, according toBlick.
The so-called "Environmental Cost Surcharge" will be automatically included in the ticket price. On short and medium-haul flights, the surcharge is CHF 1 to 5 in Economy Class and CHF 1.50 to 7 in Business Class.
The surcharges are higher for long-haul flights: 6 to 12 francs are added in Economy Class, 9 to 18 francs in Premium Economy, 18 to 36 francs in Business Class and 36 to 72 francs in First Class. This fee applies per flight segment, i.e. for each leg between two airports.
Additional costs to be covered
The new fee is not voluntary and will be charged to all passengers at the time of booking. Furthermore, according to Blick, it does not replace the existing "green fares". With these, passengers can voluntarily pay a higher price.
Swiss explains to Blick that this fee is intended to cover the additional costs incurred as a result of EU environmental regulations.
These include the SAF mandate, which stipulates the use of sustainable aviation fuels, as well as adjustments to the European emissions trading system. This system sets an upper limit for the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions and allows the trading of emission certificates.
