The days of short-haul flights in Europe have an expiration date, in France anyway. The European hot spot has been granted permission by the European Commission to ban domestic flights where there is an alternative rail service of less than two and a half hours.

The new high-speed rail lines (part of the EU’s TEN-T project) will result in a plethora of short-haul flights becoming redundant.

According to EU statistics, 17 of the 20 busiest air routes cover distances across Europe of less than 434 miles. In this instance, intercity trains can offer a faster and more sustainable journey.

Flights between Paris Orly airport and Nantes, Lyon, and Bordeaux are first on the firing line as part of the country’s Climate Law, where the ban of short-haul domestic services was first announced by the French government in 2021. This was initially contested by the Union of French Airports (UAF) and Aiports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), which led to a review by the EU.

The plan was given the green light in a statement on December 2, applying initially to the three routes from Paris Orly. These changes will be reviewed after three years. Additional air routes from Paris Charles de Gualle to Lyon and Rennes, and also between Lyon and Marseille, could be banned in future.

France’s Transport Minister, Clément Beaune said: “This is a major step forward and I am proud that France is a pioneer in this area.”