France Bans Short-Haul Flights To Cut Down On Emissions

In an aggressive effort to crack down on carbon emissions to fight climate change, France has been given the thumbs up to ban short-haul domestic flights.

According to The Next Web, the French government suggested the ban in 2021 as part of the Climate Law, focusing on flights between locations that take less than 2.5 hours between them by train.

France Becomes The First European Union Member To Ban Short-Haul Flights

When it comes to cutting back on carbon emissions to slow down global warming, air travel needs to be moderated in the most significant way possible.

With that, the European Commission approved the decision to ban short-haul domestic flights in France last week, to reduce the country's emissions by 40% by 2030.

According to Gizmodo, the ban is effective for three years, and it will affect three routes, namely Paris Orly Airport to Nantes, Paris Orly to Bordeaux, and Paris Orly to London.

However, for routes to warrant flight cancellations, there should be direct high-speed rail connections for train alternatives between locations as per the European Commission.

"Future improvements in the rail services, with services operating at sufficient frequencies and suitable timings, in particular for the purposes of connecting flights, will enable these air routes to be banned," the Commission says.

With France's high-speed rail Train Grand Vitesse unveiling new generation double-decker trains, more short flight bans are possible in the future.

This is in addition to the country's already established and efficient rail system, where there are over 1,000 miles dedicated to high-speed trains that connect major cities, Gizmodo writes.

France's Ban On Short-Haul Domestic Flights Is First Of Its Kind

The ban was contested by the Union of French Airports and the European branch of the Airports Council International, but the European Commission's overrule is pushing the measure forward.

While there is no specific date of implementation yet, France's short-haul flight ban is the first of its kind, signaling an initiative toward travel and climate revolution.

According to The Next Web, unlike most parts of the world, Europe has an efficient railway system running in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, the UK, and more that can stand as an alternative for short flights.

With this, the Community of European Railway says that rail transport is an energy-efficient mode of travel, accounting for only 2% of the EU's total energy consumption.

Because of this, a similar project is underway in other countries as Germany proposed the reopening of the Trans European Express, aiming to connect European countries faster.

The Czech Republic is also working with France to create new 350 kph lines that travel between Prague, Brno, and Ostrava with Eastern Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Poland.

A Dutch railway company also just unveiled a 200 kph Intercity train that makes travel from Amsterdam to Brussels 30 minutes faster in 2024.

With that, the EU hopes that more countries will follow the carbon emission cutback initiative to have cleaner and more sustainable rides without compromising travel speed.