The French government announced that it hopes to bring in a minimum price for airline tickets to eliminate the possibility of low-cost flights. The French transport minister, Clément Beaune, said in an interview with business magazine Obs that it was no longer feasible in a time of environmental crisis to buy tickets that cost just $10.
Beaune was clear that the French government is hoping this will be an EU-wide scheme to be brought in across the bloc.
It's a promising start for French environmentalists at the return to work of the French government after the summer holidays—after proposing $110 million of investment in train infrastructure in the upcoming budget from an increase in airline taxes, there are plans to restart the night train from Paris to Berlin, run by ÖBB three times per week from December onwards at a starting cost of just $29.
What's more, after introducing a law that bans short-haul flights where a train route of under 2.5 hours already exists, the French government is also looking to replicate a very successful scheme in Germany that allows unlimited travel on any public transport for around $50 per month, including intercity trains.
Beaune has said that the EU is also considering increasing the tax on private jets, many of which can be found in the skies over France on their way down to the Mediterranean. The EU is also currently discussing a proposed increase on aviation tax in its need to reach substantial environmental targets for carbon emissions.
Whilst the EU is notoriously slow to bring in new rules (it needs approval from all member states, plus those in the wider Schengen area, if possible) it has shown support for such schemes. When France introduced the law banning short-haul flights, many airlines appealed, stating that the ban effectively amounted to illegal state support for the rail sector and the case went to the European court. The judges, however, ruled that the climate crisis fell under the term of exceptional circumstances under which such schemes are valid.
Many believe that the French ban on short-haul flights is a test case for further bans in other EU countries—the region has been heavily pushing rail travel in recent years, with many new rail startups offering new train routes across Europe.
Environmentalists argue that more must be done, notably to reduce the group of frequent fliers, who represent a minority of travelers but are responsible for more carbon emissions than others. The climate campaign group, Possible, states that in France, half of all flights are taken by just 2% of people. In the U.K., 15% of travelers take 70% of flights and 8% of the Dutch take 42%. Environmentalists say that an easy fix would be a frequent flyer tax that would
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With its crystal clear lake and rugged snow-capped mountains, Lucerne has long been one of Switzerland’s most popular destinations for an alpine retreat. Europe’s upper strata were drawn to the alps as early as the 1760s, for mountaineering and hiking. But Lucerne really took off in the 19th century, following the opening of the first hotel in 1835, the expansion of alpine health resorts and Queen Victoria visiting the town for a long summer retreat in 1868 as she mourned the death of her husband.
Ryanair said on Thursday it did not see a risk of the European Union introducing minimum prices or compulsory limits on flights because it would disenfranchise poorer people, making it politically impossible.
France will seek support from other European Union countries for a minimum price on flights in Europe, in a bid to reduce the aviation sector’s contribution to climate change, Transport Minister Clement Beaune has said.
Ultra-cheap flights could be banned in Europe if a forthcoming proposal is approved by the EU: Officials in France want to set a price minimum on airfares across Europe to help reduce carbon emissions.
France could well be the perfect place to track the progress of the main battle over the future of travel: trains versus planes. In May 2021, France positioned itself as the frontrunner in a carbon-cutting train renaissance when its government enacted a ban on domestic flights where the journey could be done by train in less than two and a half hours. “We are the first to do it,” Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter, and it was hailed by minister Clément Beaune as a “powerful message” and a “strong symbol”. The European Commission designated 2021 as the “Year of European Rail” and billions of euros have since poured into railway infrastructure across central and eastern Europe.