Coronavirus aid: Air France 'must cut domestic flights to get state loan'

A French government plan to rescue Air France is contingent on the carrier scrapping some domestic flights, the country's economy minister has said. Air France should become "the most environmentally respectful airline", Bruno Le Maire said. The government has approved a E7b loan to Air France, which has been hit hard by coronavirus curbs. On Monday, the EC approved the proposal, saying it met EU rules on state aid. Le Maire said the coronavirus crisis provided an opportunity to "reinvent our model of economic development to ensure it is more respectful of the environment". He added this meant a number of Air France domestic routes would need to go. "It is obvious that today a number of domestic routes are no longer justified," he said, without giving further details. "When you can travel by train in less than two and a half hours, there is no justification for taking a plane."<br/>