France has formally banned some short-haul domestic flights where there is an alternative train journey of less than two and a half hours.
The French government initially announced plans to prohibit internal flights on some routes as part of its Climate Law in 2021, but the policy was only given the green light by the European Commission in December 2022.
Initially, the domestic flight ban will only apply to three routes from Paris Orly airport to Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux, but could be extended to other routes if equivalent train services are improved. The EU has stipulated that the measure must be reviewed after three years in place.
The enforcement of the ban is largely symbolic at this point as the three affected routes are not currently served by any airlines - Air France stopped flying on these routes in 2020 after receiving financial support from the French government during the pandemic.
Connecting flights are not affected by the ban so it does not apply to any services to the country’s main hub at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
France is the first EU member to introduce this kind of ban on short-haul domestic flights on environmental grounds.