South African Airways is adding surcharges of €1 to €2 per flight to and from London, Frankfurt and Munich to pay for anticipated costs arising from the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme.

The airline said it is complying with ETS "under protest" and supports a call by the South African government for the scheme to be suspended for two years while the International Civil Aviation Organization creates a global emissions initiative. The surcharge will be applied to flights booked from July 1. Better news for buyers is that SAA has reduced its fuel surcharge on all flights, including a cut to $7 per segment on long-haul flights.