Short-haul flight ban is a good start – now we need to reimagine the modern airport
The ConversationSep 13, 2022
Coming two years after French lawmakers voted to end flight routes that could be conducted by train in under 2.5 hours, France officially banned short-haul air travel between Paris and cities including Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux on Tuesday.
A successful ban, approved by the European Commission (EC) in December, could mean more flight routes will be added to the list. Though train rides such as Milan, Italy, to Paris currently take over seven hours, the EU's TEN-T high-speed rail project is expected to halve the trip with its new 36-mile-long Mont Cenis Base Tunnel under the Savoy Alps.
While this is just a first step toward ending unnecessary carbon emissions, France should be lauded for its decision to ban short-haul flights, as every other rich nation is still too reluctant. Small conveniences like frivolously short air travel aren't worth pumping tons of CO2 into the air. Finally, some lawmakers have digested the reality of climate change and passed concrete legislation to save the planet.
As only 4% of European flights are less than 500km (310 miles) in duration, this ban will cut carbon by an irrelevant fraction. The law also blatantly violates the freedom of movement agreement between EU member states, which allows airlines to provide flights between any point in the region. Now, those companies and their employees will be out of work due to lawmakers seeking political points.