Last weekend French MPs voted to stop domestic flights on routes that can be travelled by train in less than two and a half hours. It’s part of an ambitious series of climate and environmental measures that the country is putting in place as they aim to meet their net-zero by 2050 target. The hot debate in the Assemblée Nationale was focused on a diluted version of a recommendation made by the Citizens Convention on Climate, a group including 150 members of the public and set up by President Macron in 2019. The original recommendation by the convention had been to ban all flights within France where there ws an alternative direct train journey of four hours or less. “We chose two and a half hours because four hours dries up often landlocked territories such as the great Massif Central. It would be unfair in terms of territorial equity,” explained Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, France’s Minister for Transport. Although it passed the vote, the move was far from popular in all areas of the country, especially the South West, where Airbus and many sub-contracting companies are based. The Socialist MP Joël Aviragnet warned of the “disproportionate human cost” and the high possibility of job losses in the sector. As well as strong objections from the local government in certain regions of the country, Air France-KLM played a part in lobbying for the drop to the two and a half hour limit. Objections from the airline are perhaps understandable, with this new ruling coming hot on the heels of local and international travel restrictions due to the Covid crisis. Air France-KLM should probably have been prepared for this though, a year ago they received a €7bn loan from the French government, which was given under the condition that some internal flights would be dropped. In one sense this new ruling levels the playing field a bit as it applies the same restrictions for short flights to low cost airlines as well as just AF-KLM Many environmental legislation supporters, including the consumer group UFC-Que Choisir were also unhappy, believing that the proposed four hour limit should have been adopted. According to them, "on average, the plane emits 77 times more CO2 per passenger than the train on these routes, even though the train is cheaper and the time lost is limited to 40 minutes." The entire bill also includes other measures, including a ban on airport expansions where it is likely that they will lead to an increase in emissions. To pass into law, the ban still has to get through the senate before a third and final vote in the lower house, where President Macron’s ruling parties and allies dominate and it is expected to pass comfortably. The move will mean an end to short internal flights from Paris Orly airport, to destinations like Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux. Connecting flights through Paris Charles de Gaulle to these destinations will continue, so you will be able to fly to the South of France when flying in from abroad but not to book a seat on the domestic part of the journey only. It’s also worth noting that the ban is only for ‘conventional’ air travel, and that there are exemptions for ‘decarbonised’ flights in the future. This has the potential to accelerate the development of far more sustainable electric or hydrogen powered short haul planes. The French aren’t the first country in Europe to put such a rule in place. In June 2020, Austria suspended domestic flights that could be covered in less than three hours by train, and additionally introduced a new tax on tickets for any flights of less than 350km. The Dutch aren’t doing quite as well, their MPs voted in 2019 to ban flights between Schiphol in Amsterdam and Zaventem in Brussels, a distance of 149km. This cross-border ban was never implemented as it was accused of breaking European commission free-movement regulations.

French MPs vote to ban short domestic flights

Clementine

This is a very good decision by the government. It is not yet a law but it should be passed without the problem.

To me, it should not only be for trips inside the country but also outside. To Brussels from Paris is only 1h30, and these trips should be in the rule as well.

Piri

Clementine

Maybe it would happen if both countries would have the same law.

John

Piri Maybe it would happen if both countries would have the same law.

If it was an EU law instead of a national one that would do it.

John

I love the idea. I don't think that in these cases flying has any real advantage, by the time you get to the airport, check-in, etc. it is hardly faster if it is at all, and trains are just more comfortable.

My biggest worry is that the lack of competition means that the train companies have the ability to do what they want with the services and that charge whatever they want for it. I'm hoping this won't be the case and as far as I know the rail system in France is state owned, so the government has a higher level of control over it and should stop that happening.

Clementine

John

Yes! Transport and roads and railways and these big projects are what the EU should be in charge of, that we could have easy and green travel around the whole of the union.

Egle-K

France has been good fast TGV trains, so it works there ok but would not in all of Europe.

John

Egle-K France has been good fast TGV trains, so it works there ok but would not in all of Europe.

That's something that is fixable though, investments in rail infrastructure instead of in roads and airport expansions.

Clementine

Mountains, rivers, seas are bigger problems to new railways than to flying. It costs less to build our improve an airport than to build bridges and tunnels.

Ash

This is good. The only issue for a country like the UK is that the train tickets are already set at absurd prices so something like this, would probably push them up even further if they knew customers didn't have alternatives. There are routes where it's cheaper to fly than go by train.

Piri

Ash

We talked a bit about prices after This article.

Totally agree with you about the price! Actually you really can feel it just taking a train from airport to central London… many times I paid less for a flight ticket… (unless you have a flight to City airport).

In some countries there are still regional trains that cost less, but might take for ages to travel 😁 well if you have time it is fine, but they are not so comfortable.

John

Ash

Exactly right. there has to be some kind of control on rail ticket pricing along with the ban of other alternative transport options like flying.

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