Lufthansa has reached a momentous milestone in its commitment to climate research, collecting data on over 35,000 passenger flights since 1994.
Who are Lufthansa?
Lufthansa (Lufthansa Group) is a German flag carrier that consistently ranks as one of the largest airlines in the world. It has a significant global reach, encompassing numerous airline and aviation companies and is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Lufthansa’s well-established infrastructure and access to advanced aviation technology make it an ideal candidate for climate research flights.
Lufthansa has also experienced a turbulent recent chapter with significant financial losses from Covid and tense labour relations. Despite the difficult conditions, Lufthansa’s research flights have continued to operate, providing valuable data to climate change researchers and scientists.
An enduring commitment to climate research
Lufthansa has regularly conducted ‘climate-relevant data’ research on commercial flights for the past 30 years. Alongside this, roughly three aircraft per day conduct flights to specifically analyse climate and atmospheric patterns with specialist equipment. Such research efforts will enable more accurate weather forecasts and make valuable contributions towards scientific understanding of evolving atmospheric trends. For example, in 2014 Lufthansa’s research aircraft identified three previously unknown CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) responsible for the hole in the ozone layer.
The Chief Technology Officer of Lufthansa, Grazia Vittadni emphasised the company’s motivation, saying that:
‘the further development of aviation is deeply rooted in the DNA of the Lufthansa Group’.
This reflects the ongoing debate within the airline industry on how to adapt and evolve in the face of sustainability issues. Lufthansa is also closely collaborating with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the Jülich Research Centre (FZJ). These collaborations ensure the accurate use of testing equipment and a reliable flow of data to collection centres.
State-of-the-art aircraft
Since 1994 Lufthansa has used Airbus A340-300 aircraft to conduct specialist climate research. Between 1994 and 2014 these aircraft were deployed in the MOZAIC (Measurement of Ozone, Water Vapor, Carbon Monoxide and Nitrogen Oxides by Airbus In-Service Aircraft) project. Following MOZAIC, Lufthansa became involved in the IAGOS (In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System) project which has seen A340-300s outfitted with advanced sensory equipment. However, Lufthansa’s flagship research effort will be the IAGOS-CARIBIC (Civil Aircraft for the Regular Investigation of the Atmosphere Based on an Instrument Container) Project. This centres around converting a long-haul A350-900 (nickname ‘Erfurt’) into a unique ‘flying research laboratory’.
‘Erfurt’ will contain a research facility weighing around two tonnes with over 20 advanced measuring systems. Scheduled to make its first flight in late 2025, ‘Erfurt’ will significantly contribute to Lufthansa’s existing fleet of 10 IAGOS aircraft. This fleet has already conducted hundreds of research flights and the data collected has enabled the publication of 480 peer-reviewed scientific articles. This significant investment of resources demonstrates Lufthansa’s commitment to the endeavour as well as the importance of scientific research in the atmosphere.
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