France wants to ban some domestic flights to reduce carbon emissions
The French government is seeking to reduce carbon emissions despite the downturn in the air travel industry due to the global pandemic.
French lawmakers voted to cancel domestic flights via routes that can be covered by the train in less than two and a half hours.
The measure is part of a broader climate bill that aims to cut French carbon emissions by 40 percent in 2030 from 1990 levels.
Despite this, activists accuse President (Emmanuel Macron) Emmanuel Macron of diminishing previous promises in the draft law.
The vote came days after the state announced it was contributing to a 4 billion euros ($ 4.76 billion) recapitalization of Air France, more than double its share in the carrier, to boost its finances after more than a year of travel restrictions due to the Coronavirus.
The airline has warned it expects an operating loss of 1.3 billion euros when it announces its first-quarter profit next month.
The aviation industry is suffering from the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, which has led to a sharp drop in global travel over the past year.
Industry Minister (Agnes Pannier-Runacher) rejected criticism from the aviation industry that recovering from the epidemic is not the time to ban some domestic flights, and said: There is no contradiction between the rescue plan and the climate bill.
"We know that aviation contributes to carbon dioxide and that because of climate change we must reduce emissions, and likewise, we must support our companies and not let them fall," the minister added.
McKinsey & Co analysts estimate that the aviation industry has continued to feel the effects of the coronavirus pandemic for several years, and they predict that air traffic will not return to 2019 levels until 2024.
Some environmental advocates said the bill was not enough, and a climate forum created by Macron to help shape climate policy called for the cancellation of flights via routes in which a train journey takes less than 4 hours.
This vote represents the first vote in the National Assembly, and the bill to reduce domestic flights is referred to the Senate before the third and final vote in the House of Representatives, where Macron's ruling party and its allies dominate.