It’s Official: France Bans Short Domestic Flights in Favor of Trains

France’s ban on short-haul domestic flights goes into effect today (May 23).

According to a government decree, any journey that takes less than two and a half hours by train cannot be taken as a flight.

France is also limiting the use of private jets for short journeys in an effort to make transportation more environmentally friendly and equitable for the general public.

Transport Minister Clément Beaune stated that the country could no longer tolerate the super-rich flying in private planes while the public makes cuts to deal with the energy crisis and climate change.

Which flights are currently banned in France?

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The law will largely prohibit air travel between Paris Orly Airport and regional hubs like Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux.

Critics have pointed out that the cutoff point is less than the approximately three-hour travel time by high-speed rail from Paris to the Mediterranean port city of Marseille.

As rail services improve, more routes, such as those connecting Paris Charles de Gaulle to Lyon and Rennes, as well as journeys between Lyon and Marseille, may be added. They currently do not meet the ban’s criteria because trains to Paris and Lyon airports do not allow passengers to arrive early in the morning or late in the evening.

Connecting flights are not affected by the new law.

Trains must meet certain conditions to replace flights

The new law requires that train services on the same route be frequent, timely, and well-connected enough to meet the needs of passengers who would otherwise travel by air, as well as capable of accommodating increased passenger numbers.

People making such trips should be able to take outbound and return train journeys on the same day, after spending eight hours at their destination.

How did the ban on short-haul flights happen?

The changes are part of France’s 2021 Climate Law and were initially proposed by France’s Citizens’ Convention on Climate, a citizens’ assembly tasked with reducing the country’s carbon emissions.

When the measures were first announced, they were opposed by the Union of French Airports (UAF) and the European branch of the Airports Council International (ACI Europe).

This prompted the European Commission to conduct a thorough investigation into whether the plan could be implemented.

A European Air Services Regulation article states that a member state may, “where there are serious environmental problems […] limit or refuse the exercise of traffic rights, in particular where other modes of transport provide a satisfactory service”.

The Commission granted approval in April of this year, marking the first time this article has been invoked by an EU member state.

“[This] is a major step forward in the policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” transport minister Beaune stated when the approval was granted.

“I am proud that France is a pioneer in this area,” he stated.

Sarah Fayolle, Greenpeace France’s transport campaign manager, told Euronews that the European Commission’s decision had both “negative and positive aspects” given that only three routes were affected.

“It’s going in the right direction, but the initial measure is one that’s (not very) ambitious. We must go even further,” she stated.