Tickets for KLM flights could now be up to 12 euros more expensive after a policy change this week has seen the Dutch airline increase its use of a more environmentally fuel for flights out of Amsterdam.
As of this week, KLM has added 0,5 percent of a new fuel type to all flights departing from Schiphol Airport: Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). SAF is designed to be a more sustainable alternative to kerosene, generating 75 percent less CO2 emissions than the traditional fuel.
From 2025, flights in Europe will be required to use a combination of fuel types, with at least 2 percent of the fuel used required to be sustainable. KLM has set independent targets, and plans to make 10 percent of its fuel sustainable by 2030.
“We realise that the 0,5 percent standard admixture on passenger flights is a very small step,” the airline wrote in a statement this week. “But [it is] an important one in the right direction.” Over the past few years KLM has taken steps in an attempt to reduce the carbon footprint of flyers, running the world’s first biokerosene passenger flight last February.
While SAF is more environmentally friendly, KLM admitted it costs as much as four times more than kerosene, and is in relatively short supply. While the airline does hope to get ahead of European targets for sustainable air travel, it acknowledged that this change will have knock-on effects for customers as ticket prices increase.
“The additional cost for [the fuel] is reflected in the price of the ticket,” KLM said. “As a KLM passenger, you automatically contribute to the purchase of sustainable fuel. The increase in ticket prices varies from one to 12 euros for a ticket, depending on the cabin class booked and the distance flown.”
In addition to this, as of January 13, customers booking a flight with KLM will be given the option at checkout to purchase additional SAF for their flight and further reduce their carbon footprint. While this currently only applies to KLM flights, a similar policy is expected to be introduced at Transavia soon.