Elimination of short domestic flights in France. which lines are affected?

Is it the wire that gives birth to a mouse? It seems. On December 2, the European Commission ratified France’s decision to eliminate domestic flights when there is an alternative of less than 2h30 by train. This provision is included in the Climate and Resilience Act 2021, which follows on from the Citizens’ Convention. Thus, France becomes the first country in Europe to apply such a measure. In reality, its impact will be very limited and will go unnoticed by the vast majority of travelers, at least for the next three years. The European executive only approves the completion of the three already eliminated lines in 2021. Paris-Orly and Bordeaux, Nantes and Lyon will be prohibited to any carrier,” emphasizes the implementing decision 2022/2358 entered in the official gazette of the European Union. Therefore, the decision of Brussels strengthens the position of France.

Other lines were preserved but suspended

The other five lines of the hot seat have received a deviation and are therefore maintained for at least three years. “The connections between Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG), on the one hand, and Bordeaux and: NantesOn the other hand, are excluded from the scope of the event, because the train journey is more than 2 hours 30 to reach the station of Paris-CDG airport (with the best travel times of about 3:30 and 3 hours, respectively)”, the Commission elaborates. .

The remaining lines are preserved. Paris CDG-Ren, Paris CDG-Lyon and Lyon-Marseille. Reason given: “current state of train offer”. “Even if rail journeys can offer times of less than 2h30, they don’t allow for an early enough arrival at Paris-CDG airport (or Lyon Saint-Exupery in Lyon-Marseille) or a late enough departure. in the evening.

Review of the measure in three years

There are also connecting flights from Ax as part of the journey with a stopover. The climate law planned to cancel those supply flights, which were intended to supply the Paris hubs. However, the European Commission found that the deviation would present a “risk of discrimination and distortion of competition between air carriers” and would harm carriers whose “economic model is not focused on connecting passengers”.

All these measures will be reviewed within three years. The elimination of the new air links is linked to “the future improvement of rail services, with sufficient frequencies and sufficient timetables, particularly for mail needs”, the text states. Additionally, “a previously prohibited connection may be re-served if the quality of rail service changes and no longer meets satisfactory service conditions.”

There is already a train to replace short flights

With some domestic flights announced to be cancelled, travelers may be tempted by a combination of train and plane. Thanks to the cooperation of SNCF and twelve airlines (Air France, Air Caraïbes, Air Transat, etc.), the “Train+Air” service, created 25 years ago, enables you to take both types of transport with one ticket and make: one reservation. An undeniable advantage: in case of a missed connection, the passenger is accommodated on the next flight or train for free.

Elsewhere in Europe, the train is increasingly looking to replace short domestic flights, particularly for long-haul correspondence. In Germany, thanks to the Lufthansa Express Rail service, travelers can reach the center of Frankfurt by rail rather than by air. For several months, thanks to the cooperation with Thalys, the American Delta and the Dutch KLM offer their passengers the connection between Brussels and Amsterdam by train (1h53, compared to 45 minutes by plane) with one ticket.

VIDEO – European Commission ratifies elimination of short domestic flights in France