“The one thing I can guarantee you is that the solution to Climate Change will be so much worse than the problem”.
Jordan Peterson
So is this an Air France rescue package or a move to reduce emissions, or both ?
French Flight Ban
Next time you visit France, you could be forced to take the train or bus on certain journeys, with the country’s ban on flights under 2.5 hours – initially proposed in April – receiving the go-ahead from the European Commission in recent days.
Initially applying to flights from Paris Orly to Bordeaux, Nantes and Lyon, the ban may be expanded to include other routes after three years, if the concept proves successful.
It’s expected up to 12% of the country’s domestic routes will be culled under the ban, devised in 2021 as part of the French government’s €4 billion rescue package for Air France after it reported staggering losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The plan initially proposed banning trips of four hours by air, however this was reduced after objections from Air France-KLM and representatives of affected regions.
Environmental groups are pushing for the flight ban to go even further, with Greenpeace saying it should extend to six hours where a train alternative is available.
The Austrian government previously considered a similar step as part of a bailout of Austrian Airlines, suggesting that domestic flights be axed where a train ride of up to three hours is available, such as between Vienna and Salzburg.
It’s estimated that 80% of short-range flights in Austria could be replaced by trips on the country’s sprawling OBB state rail network.
Research into carbon output suggests taking an electric train instead of a domestic flight would reduce an individual’s environmental footprint by 84%.
The same study found emissions per kilometre on a domestic trip in Europe are up to 70% higher than international long-range flights and six times higher than making the same trip by train.