Flights to domestic destinations where trains can travel in less than two and a half hours are now banned in France.
The law was passed two years ago, but will enter into force on Tuesday. This means that it will no longer be possible to fly between cities such as Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon. However, you will still be able to fly to Marseille from Paris as the journey takes about three hours on the high-speed train.
The requirement: Should be able to travel for the day
However, the rules do not apply to connecting flights and the requirement is that train departures on the routes must run frequently and be able to carry enough passengers to cover the increased number of passengers who will be added when it is no longer possible to fly.
One of the requirements is that passengers should be able to travel by train to a destination, be there for eight hours, and then be able to travel back in one and the same day.
Air France received coronavirus support in exchange
Already in 2020, the French airline Air France promised that they would accept the proposal, in exchange they received a financial support package during the corona pandemic.
Otherwise, the aviation industry is not satisfied with the new law. Laurent Donceel, head of the trade association Airlines for Europe, told AFP that the decision would have only minimal impact on emissions.
"The government should support real and meaningful solutions to emissions rather than symbolic bans," said Laurent Donceel.