Towards the cessation of short-duration domestic flights. Brussels will validate the French measure to suppress domestic flights in the event of an alternative train of less than 2:30 hours, with some adjustments, a source close to the file learned this Thursday.
This measure, an emblematic provision of the climate law, must be reviewed after three years and will also apply to connecting flights. The decision could be officially published on Friday.
In December 2021, the European executive announced that it would carry out an “in-depth analysis” of this project, contested by the Union of French Airports (UAF) together with the European branch of the Airports Council International (ACI Europe).
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Discussions have been held between the Commission and the French government to ensure that the project complies with European legislation.
The measure, which has the effect of prohibiting connections between Paris (Orly) and Nantes, Lyon or Bordeaux, provided exceptions for connecting trips. But these exceptions were abolished, the Commission considered that they introduced a distortion of competition between the airlines.
However, it specifies that these measures must be “non-discriminatory”, not cause “distortion of competition between airlines”, not be “more restrictive than necessary” and must have “a limited period of validity, not exceeding three years , after they are reexamined”. This article has never before been invoked by a Member State.
Source: BFM TV
