facebook
News France Votes To Ban Short Flights Where Train Travel Is Possible
Advertisement

France Votes To Ban Short Flights Where Train Travel Is Possible

France voted to eliminate all domestic flights to destinations that can be reached by train in less than two and a half hours.

Advertisement

By: Rachel Chang Published: Apr 19, 2021 10:17 AM IST

France Votes To Ban Short Flights Where Train Travel Is Possible
CREDIT: ERIC PIERMONT/AFP VIA GETTY

France just took a big step forward in cutting back on carbon emissions released by planes. The country voted to eliminate all domestic flights to destinations that can be reached by train in less than two and a half hours, Reuters reported. By Rachel Chang

France Votes To Ban Short Flights

Lawmakers in the National Assembly voted on Saturday in favour of the move, which is one part of a larger climate bill that aims to lower the nation’s emissions by 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030. The bill still needs to pass in the senate and lower house before going into effect, the news agency added.

The new law would potentially affect flights from Paris and major French destinations like Bordeaux, Nantes, and Lyon, the BBC reported, adding that connecting flights won’t be affected.

France
CREDIT: ERIC PIERMONT/AFP VIA GETTY

While the vote seemed like a positive move for the environment, it also came with controversies from various sides: some feel the timing is off as the airline industry struggles to recover from the pandemic, while others say the two-and-a-half-hour limit is too short, since earlier versions had the cap at four hours.

“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,” French consumer group UFC – Que Choisir told the BBC for urging lawmakers to bring back the four-hour mark.

The balance is a careful one, as Industry Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher told Europe 1 Radio: “We know that aviation is a contributor of carbon dioxide and that because of climate change we must reduce emissions. Equally, we must support our companies and not let them fall by the wayside.”

Critics also cited mixed messages, as the state had just said it would help Air France-KLM recover from the pandemic by contributing €4 billion (about $4.7 billion/INR 35,853 crore) as part of a rescue plan, Bloomberg reported last week.

France isn’t the only European nation leaning on its railways as a cleaner alternative to air travel. According to CNN, Austria’s main airline, Austrian Airlines, cut its Vienna-to-Salzburg flight service last summer, increasing the number of daily direct trains between the cities to 31, up from three.

Related: Check Out The World’s Fastest High-Speed Trains

Written By

Rachel Chang

Rachel Chang

Never miss an update

Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest on travel, stay & dining.

No Thanks
You’re all set

Thank you for your subscription.