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The change in the law prohibits flights if rail alternatives could cover the trip in 2,5 hoers or less. It only applies to a few domestic routes. The flight connections most affected are on the one hand Paris and Nantes and Lyon and Bordeaux on the other. This ban is part of a comprehensive legislative package on climate protection. The French national assembly has already passed the law and in June the senate still must give its approval.

The criticism is that only domestic flights are affected. For example, short-haul flights from France to neighbouring countries are not affected by the ban. Connecting flights are also not covered by the amendment to the law. Nevertheless, with the short-haul ban, France is making an important contribution to climate protection.

However, scepticism about the need for short-haul flight with regard to climate protection is nothing new in Europe. Already in the 2019 European election campaign, proposals were made to ban flights of less than 1,5000 kilometres. Even back then, there was agreement that taking the train must be more attractive than flying over the short distance.

Since then, the restriction of short-haul flights has been an issue in European large-area countries on the political agenda. For effective environmental protection, a uniform European specification would make sense here.

Source: pixabay