ANALYSIS – One of the conclusions of the Citizen’s Convention for the Climate adopted by Emmanuel Macron recommends the abolition of domestic flights when there is an alternative by train in less than 2h30. Progress, really?
What if this was just window dressing? In any case, this is an anecdotal decision … The government’s desire to endorse the recommendation of the Citizen’s Climate Convention to ban flights between two cities when there is an alternative by train in less than 2h30 will not in fact concern only three lines.
Orly-Bordeaux with 550,000 passengers, Orly-Nantes with 100,000 passengers and Orly-Lyon with 150,000 passengers, ie the so-called “point-to-point” lines and not those which converge towards a hub, whether in Lyon or Charles-de-Gaulle. The reason is simple: passengers going abroad would systematically go to another European hub, namely Amsterdam, Munich or London. This, obviously, without any benefit for the climate and especially to the detriment of the French flag …
Read also :Bordeaux-Orly journeys will now be … by TGV
Marginal deletions
So why put forward these deletions of marginal lines whose activity would have de facto reduced over time? Consider, for example, the elimination of air links to Lille and Strasbourg caused by the arrival of the TGV. Today, the example of Bordeaux-Orly is significant. Before the arrival of the TGV Atlantique, it was one of the flagship lines of the Air France shuttle. Since Bordeaux is less than two hours by train from Paris, the number of shuttle users has dropped drastically. But without being reduced to nothing.
This, essentially for two reasons: first because Air France often charges lower prices than those of the SNCF. But above all because of the catchment areas. From the suburbs and surrounding regions, getting into Bordeaux city center to take a train is not easy. On this subject, what about Paris and its incredible traffic difficulties! Arriving by train at Gare Montparnasse and then going to the Saclay plateau or to Versailles is an adventure. Better to take a plane in Mérignac and arrive at Orly.
Read also :Passenger transfer between Air France and Transavia: are customers the big losers?
A price increase in sight
But, to get back to the heart of the matter, does this passage to the train by means of a detour through city centers by car really represent a substantial benefit for the climate compared to a direct flight? We doubt it. In addition, other indirect consequences are to be feared. As soon as it no longer has an airline competitor on the Paris-Bordeaux line, the SNCF will quickly increase its prices. It is enough to compare the tariffs of the lines Paris Lyon with those of Paris-Marseille or Paris-Montpellier where the air remains present, to be convinced of it. In short, it is a nice gift to the SNCF, which will recover, without compensation, the 500,000 passengers per year from Air France …
The climate bill specifies, however, that the three lines Orly-Bordeaux, Orly-Nantes and Orly-Lyon will be able to remain operational provided they serve connecting traffic to overseas but also to other French cities. But due to the Covid-19 crisis, these three lines have been suspended; there is no guarantee that they will resume once the health situation is restored.
Air France, for its part, has already made commitments to reduce its ecological footprint: reducing its CO² emissions by 50% by 2024 on its domestic network and by 2030 on its entire network. Objectives made possible in particular thanks to the use of biofuels and the arrival of the A220, which emits up to 25% less CO² compared to its predecessors.
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