Lufthansa Cargo and Swiss WorldCargo will include the rising costs of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) in the price index of their existing Airfreight Surcharge (ASC) from 1 January 2025. From that date, a statutory SAF blending quota of initially 2% will apply for departures from European Union (EU) countries. Countries outside the EU are also planning to introduce or have already introduced mandatory SAF blends.
The Indian government, for example, is working on a mandatory quota of 1-5% from 2027 and Singapore will require airlines to add 1% SAF to flights departing from Changi Airport starting in 2026. The target is three to five percent by 2030. By then, the EU will require 6%, and the UK and Japan 10%.
The ASC, introduced in 2015, is a combined surcharge to cover rising costs beyond Swiss WorldCargo’s control mainly for fuel, currency, air traffic control and security measures. and is added to the net price of each shipment.