- Journeys within the French State which can be made by train for two and a half hours or less may not be made by plane in order to reduce CO2 emissions. Some people have criticised the fact that, with exceptions and conditions, the measure is more symbolic than real.
This Tuesday the new regulations have come into force, but prohibited flights were no longer offered by Air France in practice, in exchange for cancelling these pandemic trips since the French Government granted it a subsidy in 2020.
Flights expressly prohibited
Prohibited flights must have a train alternative: trains must allow that trip in two and a half hours or less, and they must also have a proper timetable, a good frequency and a proper connection; the train must offer real options to those who want to travel the same day.
Short flights that function as a link between flights for longer journeys are also not prohibited.
In practice, therefore, the measure affects flights from Paris-Lyon, Paris-Nantes and Paris-Bordeaux. For example, the Paris-Marseille flight will continue to operate, as the high-speed train travels in about three hours.
Symbolic measure?
Critical voices point out that the non-prohibition of connecting flights, with the limit of two and a half hours and the conditions imposed on the train, could make the measure more ambitious and in practice have a minimal impact. However, there is more than one insisting that it can be the first step towards further progress in the same direction, with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions.