As part of a strategic partnership, DER Travel and Tourism is the first major tour operator to acquire Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from the Lufthansa Group. This consists of biogenic residues such as used cooking oils and reduces CO2 emissions by around 80 per cent compared to conventional paraffin. With the acquired SAF, DER Travel and Tourism will offer its guests more climate-friendly air travel using SAF at no extra charge. The costs for the SAF will be borne by the tour operator.
By the end of 2024, 20 per cent SAF will also be fed into the flight system at DER Travel and Tourism's expense for selected Lufthansa Group flights that are booked in addition to one of the sustainably certified hotels in the new DERTOUR Group catalogue. In addition, REWE Reisen in Germany and Billa Reisen in Austria will each put together two more sustainable holiday packages with Lufthansa Group flights in Europe in autumn 2023.
As part of the strategic partnership between DER Travel and Tourism and the Lufthansa Group, various other measures are also planned to raise awareness of SAF among holidaymakers and travel agency experts and bring it to life for them, including a specialist study trip to Ireland for travel agencies.
In spring last year, DER Travel and Tourism and the Lufthansa Group had already jointly launched more sustainable travel offers in an initial test run.
"Our aim is to make tourism more climate-friendly and reduce emissions from holiday travel. Flying is a key lever here," explains
Dr Ingo Burmester, CEO of DER Travel and Tourism Central Europe. "At the same time, we are investing in the transition to a lower-emission air travel industry with our commitment. As a tour operator and flight agent, we see it as our responsibility to get involved in this area. As an industry, we can only achieve change by joining forces and standing shoulder to shoulder with long-standing, trustworthy partners such as the Lufthansa Group."
"We are delighted to have DER Travel and Tourism at our side as a cooperation partner that is committed to the sustainable transformation of the travel industry, is breaking new ground together with us and is sensitising its customers to forward-looking travel offers," says Frank Naeve, Senior Vice President Global Markets & Stations Lufthansa Group. "With our airlines, we want to connect people, cultures and economies in the most sustainable way possible, reduce the environmental impact of flying and use the resources we need as efficiently as possible. The use of sustainable aviation fuel is a decisive key to more sustainable flying."
Individual flights are not refuelled with pure SAF. As a so-called "drop-in" fuel, SAF is compatible with fossil paraffin and can be blended with it without any problems. Before being transported to the airport, SAF is mixed with fossil aviation fuel (blending). The maximum blending ratio of SAF with fossil aviation fuel currently permitted by the fuel specification is 50 per cent. In this way, the passenger's individual flight-related CO2 emissions are reduced. Compared to conventional paraffin, SAF has a significantly reduced CO2 footprint. With SAF made from biogenic residues, around 80 per cent of CO2 is saved.