France Is Banning Short-Haul Domestic Flights. Here Is Why

According to the new plan, flights won't be allowed between locations where a train connection already exists and takes less than 2.5 hours.

France has prohibited short-haul domestic flights in an effort to reduce pointless air travel. According to the new plan, which has been approved by the European Commission, flights won't be allowed between locations where a train connection already exists and takes less than 2.5 hours, a report in Euronews said.

The prohibition will initially only apply to flights from Paris Orly airport to Lyon, Bordeaux, and Nantes. Although a date has not yet been set, the new plan is anticipated to commence sometime next year. Three more routes could be added -- between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Lyon and Rennes, and between Lyon and Marseille -- if rail services improve.

Why Has France Banned Short-Haul Flights?

The new plan is part of France's 2021 Climate Law and was first proposed by France's Citizens' Convention on Climate - a citizens' assembly tasked with finding ways to reduce the country's carbon emissions. 

Reducing the number of flights is essential for lowering carbon emissions and halting global warming.

France is also cracking down on the use of private jets for short journeys in a bid to make transport greener for the population. Transport minister Clément Beaune had said, as quoted by Euronews, that the country could no longer tolerate the super-rich using private planes while the public is making cutbacks to deal with the energy crisis and climate change.

The Union of French Airports (UAF) and the European division of Airports Council International (ACI Europe) opposed the regulations when it was initially proposed. The European Commission then conducted a thorough examination to determine whether or not the scheme could be taken forward.

According to aviation data, Euronews reported, France has the most private aircraft in all of Europe, with frequent travelers to Paris and the French Riviera. According to T&E analysis, private planes made up 10 per cent of all departure flights in 2019, with half flying fewer than 300 miles, the report said. 

Flights release emissions high up in the atmosphere, including non-CO2 emissions, which reportedly contribute up to twice the climate warming impact of CO2. 

The pressure from airline unions may have softened France's proposal to eliminate the majority of domestic flights, but eliminating three well-traveled routes could still dramatically reduce carbon emissions. Every traveler who switches from flying to using the train saves a significant amount of energy and emissions.

Furthermore, it can serve as a warning to other governments that banning short-haul flights can reduce carbon emissions, particularly in Europe where train networks are extensive. Policies that restrict more short-haul flights would also provide EU the chance to highlight its extensive rail system.

In the EU, trains connect 33 European states and offer travelers 40,000 destinations. According to a Greenpeace report from 2021, trains can presently replace one-third of the 250 busiest flights in Europe in less than six hours.

Activists hope to replicate and expand upon France’s short-haul flight ban. With the European Commission giving the green light and allowing France to experiment with the bans, it opens the doors for other European countries to follow their lead.