France has recently enforced a ban on domestic short-haul flights in cases where train alternatives are available, aiming to decrease carbon emissions. This legislation comes into effect two years after lawmakers initially voted to discontinue routes where the same journey could be completed by train within two-and-a-half hours.
As a result of this ban, air travel between Paris and cities such as Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux will be severely limited, while connecting flights remain unaffected. However, critics argue that these measures are largely symbolic and will have minimal impact on reducing CO2 emissions. Laurent Donceel, interim head of the industry group Airlines for Europe (A4E), expressed his skepticism, stating that banning these trips would yield insignificant effects. He emphasized the need for governments to support substantial and effective solutions to tackle the issue instead.
The global airline industry has already been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with Flightradar24, a flight tracking website, reporting a nearly 42% reduction in the number of flights in 2020 compared to 2019.
The French government faced calls to implement even stricter regulations regarding domestic flights. The Citizens’ Convention on Climate, established by President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 and composed of 150 members of the public, initially proposed eliminating plane journeys when train travel of under four hours was feasible. However, this duration was reduced to two-and-a-half hours due to objections from certain regions and Air France-KLM, the national airline.
UFC-Que Choisir, a French consumer group, had previously urged lawmakers to maintain the four-hour threshold. According to their research, airplanes emit an average of 77 times more CO2 per passenger than trains on these routes, despite trains being cheaper and only resulting in a time difference of approximately 40 minutes.
The consumer group also called for safeguards to ensure that the French national railway, SNCF, does not seize the opportunity to artificially increase prices or compromise the quality of rail services.
While the ban on short-haul flights is seen as a step towards reducing carbon emissions in France, critics argue that more substantial actions are necessary to address the issue effectively. Balancing environmental concerns with the economic impact on the airline industry remains a challenge for governments worldwide as they strive to find sustainable solutions for transportation.
