Lufthansa banned from misleading advertising on CO2 reduction from flights
A German court ruled that Lufthansa cannot advertise CO2 emission reductions via sustainable aviation fuels, as the benefits are not immediate for the specific flight.
Germany's Higher Regional Court in Cologne has prohibited Lufthansa from engaging in misleading advertising regarding CO2 emission reductions through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF). The ruling, following a lawsuit by Deutsche Umwelthilfe (DUH), prevents the airline from claiming that customers can reduce flight-related CO2 emissions directly during booking by using SAF.
The court found Lufthansa's advertising to be deceptive because the actual benefits of using SAF are not immediate for the specific flight in question. This creates a false impression for consumers about how emission reductions are realized. The ruling stated that consumers pay a premium for SAF believing their flight becomes immediately more climate-neutral, when in reality SAF is mixed into the kerosene with a delay.
DUH also criticizes Lufthansa for not accounting for all emissions related to air travel, such as those from fuel production, staff and passenger travel, and catering. The organization emphasizes that the true climate impacts of flying, including contrails and nitrogen oxides, are significantly higher than just the CO2 emissions.
According to DUH, flying should be a last resort for climate-conscious travel. The organization urges Lufthansa to cease short-haul flights and consider reintroducing train ticket sales, an option the airline has offered in the past. DUH previously achieved a similar legal victory against Eurowings in 2024 concerning misleading environmental claims in advertising.