European flyers are to pay more for their tickets from this month, according to one of the continent's major airlines.

Lufthansa, Germany's flag carrier and one of the world's largest airlines, warned January 2 that ticket prices would go up, as it added a surcharge for new emissions trading certificates to the fuel surcharges it levies on passengers.

The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will force carriers to hold emissions 'rights' for the flights they undertake from this month, in the form of CO2 certificates -- although all carriers operating in Europe will have to pay, European carriers such as Lufthansa and rivals BA and Air France/KLM are expected to be hit particularly hard, leading analysts to predict that further price hikes could be on the way.

"European operators are now facing additional costs which will make flying within and via Europe more expensive for passengers," said Lufthansa's Carsten Spohr.

The airline predicts that its costs will surge by €130 million this year, and adds that  passing on the extra costs through higher ticket prices is 'recommended by the EU.'

In September, the EU admitted that its scheme could prompt airlines to add between €4 - €24 to the price of a ticket for two-way transatlantic flight.