France’s plan to ban domestic flights where a train would take less than 2.5 hours goes into effect next month, but not as much effect as its proponents would like, and the situation is similar elsewhere in Europe.
The plan, intended to reduce carbon emissions and climate change, comes with a key exception: flights that are connections for international flights are exempt. So, for example, while the 250-mile trip from CDG/Paris to Lyon is banned because the train takes only two hours, the route persists so that airlines can offer flights to Lyon from North America and other places.
Still, despite the exception, many routes that do not have international connections are being dropped from Air France’s schedules…even though some of those routes have up to now been maintained as part of the French government’s pandemic aid to Air France. On the other hand, French rail services SNCF and Ouigo are also implementing low fares to compete on those routes, and it is possible that in future, a rail ticket direct from CDG could come as a package.
Elsewhere in Europe, Spain and Scandinavian countries are considering similar bans and Austria is dropping some short-haul routes including Vienna to Salzburg. Germany has not moved to legislation, but is sharply increasing taxes on short-haul flights. Ironically, the UK, at practically the same time, has halved its tax on domestic flights, and a new version of the bankrupt regional airline Flybe is preparing to fly more short-haul routes.
