Lufthansa introduces fares with offsetting already built in

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Lufthansa will begin offering fares that already include the off-setting of flight-related carbon emissions starting this week, the German carrier announced on Monday.

The "Green Fares", which can be booked for connections in Europe and North Africa, are the first to provide 100% carbon-offsetting, Lufthansa Executive Board member Harry Hohmeister said.

The burden on the climate is offset 20% through the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and 80% through the financing of climate protection projects, according to the airline.

The option, which will initially be offered on more than 730,000 flights per year for all airlines in the Lufthansa Group, makes Lufthansa the first airline to offer such a fare as a complete package, in addition to tickets without offsetting, Hohmeister said.

Hohmeister said it was impossible to say in general how much more expensive the tickets would be, but that they would be "noticeably" more.

(Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach, editing by Rachel More)