Is it the mountain giving birth to a mouse?
It looks like it.
The European Commission validated on December 2 the French measure for the abolition of domestic flights when there is an alternative by train of less than 2h30.
This provision is included in the 2021 climate and resilience law resulting from the Citizens' Convention.
France thus becomes the first country in Europe to have implemented such a measure.
In reality, its effect will be very limited and will go unnoticed by travellers, at least for the next three years.
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The European executive only confirms the end of three lines in reality already abolished in 2021. "
The three connections between
Paris-Orly and Bordeaux, Nantes and Lyon
will be prohibited to any carrier
", underlines the executive decision 2022/ 2358 registered in the Official Journal of the European Union.
The Brussels decision therefore reinforces the French position.
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Other lines maintained but suspended
The five other lines in the hot seat have received a derogation and are therefore maintained as they are for at least three years.
"
The connections between
Paris-Charles de Gaulle
(CDG), on the one hand, and
Bordeaux
and
Nantes
, on the other hand, are excluded from the scope of the measure, due to a rail journey time of more than 2h30 to reach the station at Paris-CDG airport (with the best travel times of around 3.5 hours and 3 hours respectively)
," explains the Commission.
Other lines maintained:
Paris CDG-Rennes
,
Paris CDG-Lyon
and
Lyon-Marseille
.
Reason given: "
the current state of the train offer
".
“
Even if rail journeys can offer journey times of less than 2h30, they do not allow access early enough in the morning to Paris-CDG airport (or Lyon Saint-Exupéry in the case of the Lyon- Marseille), or to leave sufficiently late in the evening.
»
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Review of the measure in three years
Connecting flights also escape the ax.
It is therefore always possible, for example, to make a Rennes-Paris CDG flight as part of a trip with a stopover.
The climate law provided for the abolition of these supply flights intended to supply the Parisian hubs.
However, the European Commission considers that a derogation would present “
a risk of discrimination and distortion of competition between air carriers
” and would be to the detriment of carriers whose “
economic model is not focused on connecting passengers
”.
All of these measures will be reviewed in three years.
The abolition of new air links is correlated with "
a future improvement of rail services, with sufficient frequencies and satisfactory timetables, in particular for the needs of connections
", indicates the text.
In addition, “
a previously prohibited link may be served again if the quality of the rail service changes and no longer meets the conditions for satisfactory service
”.
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The train to replace short flights, it already exists
With the announced disappearance of certain domestic flights, travelers could be seduced by the combination of train and plane.
Thanks to a partnership between SNCF and twelve airlines (Air France, Air Caraïbes, Air Transat, etc.), the Train + Air service created 25 years ago makes it possible to take both modes of transport with a single ticket and by making a single reservation.
Undeniable advantage: in the event of a missed connection, the passenger is placed free of charge on the next flight or train.
Elsewhere in Europe, the train tends more and more to replace short internal flights, in particular within the framework of a correspondence with a long-haul.
In Germany, thanks to the Lufthansa Express Rail service, travelers can reach the Frankfurt hub by rail rather than by air.
For several months, thanks to a partnership with Thalys, the American Delta and the Dutch KLM have been offering their passengers the connection between Brussels and Amsterdam by train (1h53, compared to 45 minutes by plane) with a single ticket.
ON VIDEO - The European Commission validates the abolition of short domestic flights in France
