No more short flights, French already ready to travel differently
The European Commission has confirmed the French government’s decision: under the country’s 2021 climate law, any flight that can be replaced by a train journey of less than two and a half hours will be scrapped. It will therefore no longer be possible for the French to travel to Orly to board a flight from Paris Orly – Bordeaux, Paris – Nantes or Paris – Lyon.
Eva Fouquet, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at KAYAK, shares her perspective on the industry:
“We expect that most French travelers will easily adapt their travel behavior to the removal of short-haul flights in favor of the train. In fact, almost one in four French adults (23%) have already consciously chosen more sustainable modes of transport for their summer holidays in 2022. A survey we carried out earlier this year showed that around 82% of them have become more aware of their carbon footprint when flying, so adjustments for short-haul travel are in line with a general societal shift towards more sustainable behaviour.
We also see this change in French travelers’ mobility choices reflected in the upcoming Christmas and New Year travel period – with searches for rail travel up around 126% over the festive period compared to 2019. France is the first country to implement this shift towards more sustainable travel options for its residents, which goes hand in hand with KAYAK’s efforts to support its French users with multimodal means and resources so that “they can continue to experience the many positive effects of travel while developing new, more sustainable travel habits for to reduce the negative.
Ultimately, KAYAK’s mission is to help travelers find the best way to get from point A to point B, and through our extensive range of flight, train, bus and car rental options, we will continue to help our users in France do it in accordance with the latest government decision. »