France has recently enacted a law that prohibits domestic flights for journeys that can be completed in less than two-and-a-half hours by train. The new regulation, published on May 23, is expected to primarily impact air travel between Paris and regional hubs like Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux, while connecting flights remain unaffected. Critics, however, have pointed out that the cutoff point falls short of the roughly three-hour travel time between Paris and the Mediterranean port city of Marseille by high-speed rail.

The law specifies that train services on the same routes must be frequent, punctual, and well-connected to adequately cater to passengers who would otherwise choose air travel. These services should also be able to accommodate the increased number of passengers. Furthermore, individuals undertaking such trips should be able to make same-day round trips with a minimum of eight hours spent at their destination.

Although this move was already being practiced and was included in a climate law passed in 2021, certain airlines had requested an investigation by the European Commission to determine its legality. The French government had previously secured Air France’s compliance with the plan in exchange for financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Competing airlines were prohibited from simply filling the void left by Air France.

This development coincides with ongoing discussions among French politicians about reducing emissions from private jets. While Green Party policymakers have advocated for a complete ban on small private flights, Transport Minister, Clément Beaune hinted at the introduction of a higher climate charge for private jet passengers starting next year. According to Beaune, “significantly intensifying our efforts to decarbonize transportation” is crucial to achieving carbon neutrality, especially considering that the sector accounts for 30% of emissions.

Beaune further questioned the justification for using planes on routes between major cities that already enjoy regular, fast, and efficient train connections. The government, referring to the new regulations as a “world first,” acknowledged that the measure is largely symbolic, affecting only three routes between four cities: Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Paris-Orly. These routes constitute a small fraction of the total number of domestic flights in the country. Originally, the ban had proposed targeting flights with alternative train journeys of under four hours. However, objections from industry groups led to a reduction in the threshold to 2.5 hours in the final legislation.