France Is Banning Short-Haul Domestic Flights in a Bid to Reduce Carbon Emissions
Source: https://robbreport.com/motors/aviation/france-bans-domestic-flights-1234781709/
Author: Rachel Cormack
The European Commission (EC) has given French officials the green light to ban select domestic flights if the route in question can be completed via train in under two and a half hours. The plan was first proposed in 2021 as a means to reduce carbon emissions. It originally called for a ban on eight short-haul flights, but the EC has only agreed to nix three that have quick, easy rail alternatives with several direct connections each way every day. Indeed, the French Parliament passed a “Climate and Resilience Law” in 2021 that should make it possible to achieve a 40 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. The French government is also looking to tax private jets to limit the number of private fliers, though earlier discussions of outright bans on private flying have not materialized. There is still a lot of work to be done, of course. The Gallic nation currently has the highest number of private-jet flights in Europe. Private jets are up to 14 times more polluting than commercial flights per passenger mile and 50 times more polluting than trains, according to a report from the Transport and Environment.