Spain plans to copy France and ban short-haul flights to combat climate change

As of Wednesday, May 24, the Government of France prohibited all regional flights on routes where there were alternatives of travelling by train that last less than two and a half hours. After the publication of the decree, it had an immediate effect on air links between Nantes, Bordeaux, Lyon and Paris-Orly. In Spain, the Government has already announced that it is considering taking similar measures. Pedro Sánchez’s 2050 Agenda, presented two years ago, also provided for this measure. Included within the French Climate Law approved in August 2021, the measure seeks to fight climate change and reduce carbon emissions from this type of regular air transport service. The French decree, which applies for a period of three years, stated that train journeys must have: “sufficient frequencies and adequate timetables”, while the connection must allow the passenger to spend more than eight hours at the destination during the day. In addition, the rail service must run between stations serving the same cities as the respective airports concerned. Clément Beaune, the French Transport Minister, welcomed this measure as an essential step and a strong symbol in the policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “This is a world first and is fully in line with the government’s policy of encouraging the use of transport modes that emit less greenhouse gases”, he said. However, the IATA, through its director general, Willie Walsh, described the measure as “completely absurd”. He insisted that it “serves no purpose”, according to the EFE news agency.<br/>