Europe's cheap flights era is over: France bans short-haul flights in April

EasyJet, Wizz and Wow - the cheap, regular air links around the EU have been a marvel for travellers navigating the continent. Since the late 1980s, the ability to fly between Malaga and Oslo for less than the cost of a tank of petrol has changed travel, but not necessarily for the better.

Europe's golden era of low-cost carriers and budget flights is about to end. Or, so France has promised, with a ban on short-haul travel out of its airports.

From April airlines will no longer be able to operate routes between terminals where an equivalent trip can be made by train or public transport in under 2.5 hours. The new laws first suggested were passed though French parliament last year.

It becomes the first country in the EU bloc to impose the rule aimed at cutting carbon emissions and getting more citizens on TGV rail and 'greener' modes of transport.
It affects many popular tourism routes from Paris, including Bordeaux and Lyon, cutting off cheap airline routes at the knees.

Greenpeace says there are alternative rail links for one third of Europe's shorthaul flights. Photo / Daniel Eledut, Unsplash

Those planning a trip to France this year might have to rethink their plans.

Although there is an exception for connecting air links from international flights, if you've just arrived at Charles de Gaulle after a 22-hour flight, you'll be spared the transfer to a rail carriage. However, it is expected to have many knock-on effects on travel.

Not only will there be limited domestic schedules, but also the cost of flying short-haul is likely to increase across Europe for budget carriers with hubs in France.

Spain, Germany and Sweden have all expressed interest in similar bans.

Since 2017 Scandinavia - the origin of the Flygskam or 'flight shame' movement - has been popularising ICE intercontinental rails links around Europe, as a more eco-conscious option for travel.

Greenpeace EU welcomed the decision by France to replace short-haul flights but said that over a third of flights taken in Europe have an alternative under 6 hours.

Some of the worst-offending routes - such as Amsterdam to Brussels at 130km or Helsinki to Tallinn just 88km - were cross borders, where ferries or trains were available.

They called for a more joined-up approach to replace short flights across the EU.

"European policy-makers and countries should ban short-haul flights wherever a viable alternative already exists," said Greenpeace energy campaigner Lorelei Limousin, suggesting the EU "invest in rail to create a European transport system that's good for the planet while also being affordable and accessible to all."

Flights under 1,500 km were found to be responsible for 25 per cent of the continent's aviation emissions.