A new controversy has arisen in the French aviation sector, now with a project to set a minimum price for airline tickets. The proposal comes from the French Minister of Transport, Clement Beaune, who stated this Wednesday that there should be a minimum price for air transport in the country.
«Airline tickets for 10 euros while we are in the midst of an ecological transition are no longer possible; this does not reflect the cost to the planet,» the Minister said, as reported by the newspaper Le Figaro.
This proposal comes after France banned very short flights in the country in favor of trains, something the Air Transport Association called hypocritical, as it minimally reduces greenhouse gas emissions (0.3% of aircraft emissions in France) and increases the travel time for people.
See also: Green Leap: France Officially Limits Domestic Flights in Favor of Rail Travel
However, the measure does not seem to have had the desired effect and promoted by the French government, which is now looking for another way to reduce aircraft emissions but again without technical justification.
For critics, adding a minimum fare would cause other modes of transport, such as buses and trains, to also raise their prices due to an increase in demand (which is the local government’s objective) and this would marginalize people with fewer resources to travel, making air transport elitist.
This plan and others to increase airport fees are being planned to be approved in the country, but will only affect domestic flights as most European Union countries have a different view from that of France.
