Short-haul ban: These European countries could soon see the end of domestic flights

Last week France officially introduced its ban on short-haul flights.

The final version of the law means that journeys which can be taken in under 2.5 hours by train can’t be taken by plane. There also needs to be enough trains throughout the day that travellers can spend at least eight hours at their destination.

Clement Beaune, the country’s Transport Minister, called the measures an “essential step and a strong symbol in the policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions”.

So, as Europe looks to undergo a rail revolution by encouraging people to consider trains before planes, could the new law be the first of many?

A 2020 European Investment Bank survey already found widespread support from the public.

More than 60 per cent of people surveyed supported a ban on short-haul flights.

And Greenpeace demanded an EU-wide ban in 2021 for any flights where a rail journey would take under six hours.

Speaking to inews after the French ban was signed into law, Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Mobility called for the EU to follow France’s example.

Georges Gilkinet told the British newspaper that a ban needed to be on a “European level” with support for night trains and the bloc’s rail network.

The short-haul flight legislation was first proposed in 2021 as part of France’s Climate Law and its official introduction has been hard-won with fierce opposition from the aviation industry.

The government secured Air France’s compliance with the ban by offering financial support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Competitors have been banned from filling the gap left by the country’s flag carrier.

It was initially proposed as a restriction on journeys that could be completed in under four hours by train, however objections from the aviation