Lufthansa Airlines at the Frankfurt and Munich hubs and Lufthansa CityLine have once again been successfully validated in accordance with the European EMAS (Eco-Management and Audit Scheme) regulation and the ISO 14001 standard.
What is the EMAS?
The EMAS is a voluntary EU initiative that helps organisations step up their efforts in environmental protection. Developed by the European Commission, EMAS supports businesses in measuring, managing, and working to improve environmental performance in a structured and transparent way. ISO 14001 is the internationally recognised standard for environmental management systems. It provides a holistic framework that encompasses all aspect of an organisation’s environmental impact and offers tools for continuous important.
Jens Ritter, the CEO of Lufthansa Airlines, said:
“With the 2025 environmental statement, we are celebrating a special anniversary: 25 years ago, Lufthansa CityLine was the first airline worldwide to receive validation according to the demanding EMAS standard. Since then, we have been continuously working on the further development of our operational environmental management system. Through more efficient use of resources and optimized processes at Lufthansa Airlines and Lufthansa CityLine, we are advancing both environmental and economic goals. We are maintaining this course even in economically challenging times.”
In 2000, Lufthansa CityLine was the first airline worldwide to impose environmental principles on itself and receive the prestigious EMAS seal of approval. In 2018, Lufthansa Airlines introduced a certified environmental management system at its Munich location and merged it with Lufthansa CityLine in 2022.
From their Environmental Statement 2025, Lufthansa Airlines operated more flights in 2024 compared to 2023, resulting in higher traffic volumes and emissions. With this increase, however, the airline has improved operational efficiency, with the fact they burned less fuel and emitted less CO2 per passenger by 0.9%. Lufthansa CityLine was more fuel and carbon emission efficient by a reduction of 4.4% per passenger. Their total fuel and CO2 emission declined by 1.2% from 2023.
Ambitious sustainability goals
The Lufthansa Group had set itself ambitious climate protection targets over the past year and it’s aiming for a neutral carbon footprint by 2050.By 2030, the aviation group aims to halve its net CO2 emissions compared to 2019 through reduction and compensation measures.
Other airlines are taking a similar approach to their environmental as airBaltic was named in leading airline sustainability ratings and last year the UK launched a Greener Future plan to achieve net-zero emissions for domestic flights by 2040.
What do you think about Lufthansa Airlines and Lufthansa Cityline receiving the EMAS seal of approval again? Let us know down in the comments!
