Air France must make way for the train: 'Short flights
cancelled'
The French airline Air France must make way for the train
in its own country. Short domestic flights should be cancelled. Passengers can
switch to the train.
Frank Renout 29
april 2020, 21:52
"If there is
an opportunity within France to travel by train in less than 2.5 hours, that should
be the rule," said Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire.
Only if a short
flight still serves and then makes an international switch, for example in
Paris to a destination elsewhere in the world, that is allowed, Le Maire
announced on Twitter. Air France needs to reduce its CO2 emissions on domestic
flights by 50% over the next five years.
"Air France
must become the most environmentally conscious airline on earth. That's a
hard-hitting demand I set." Le Maire
calls it a prerequisite for the loans that are ready for Air France.
‘Geen blanco
check’
Earlier this week
it was announced that Air France can count on 7 billion euros in loans to
overcome the corona crisis. The Netherlands pledged 2 to 4 billion in loans to
KLM. About 90 to 95 percent of Air France KLM's fleet is under the run by the
crisis these days.
Of the money for
Air France comes 4 billion from banks. The French state guarantees 90% of that
amount. The remaining 3 billion is directly lent to Air France by the French
State. "We don't give a blank check. It's about a lot of taxpayers'
money," says Minister Le Maire.
The minister adds
that Air France must also fly 'cleaner' on international flights. The company
needs to make more use of biofuel and when purchasing new aircraft it should
pay attention to the ecological footprint of the aircraft, according to Le
Maire.
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