France has banned domestic flights on routes of less than two hours, as part of a broad package of measures to reduce emissions from transport.
The government said the restriction, which comes into effect this week, is part of plans to cut carbon emissions to help meet France’s commitments to the Paris Climate Agreement.
The French transport minister Elisabeth Borne said the restriction applied to all domestic flights by planes carrying up to 20 people, including regular and occasional routes and exceptions.
The government offered incentives to encourage train travel instead of flights, including discounts and special offers on train tickets and the development of high-speed railways on short-haul routes.
Other measures to cut emissions from transport include introducing incentives for electric vehicles, increasing the number of bike paths and greening the construction of public transport.
The government said it aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport by 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. It said France had already achieved a 10.2% reduction in emissions from transport in the past four years.
