The integration between trains and airplanes continues to progress in Europe as environmental pressures grow regarding the impact of short-haul flights. In this regard, the SkyTeam and Eurostar alliance signed a Memorandum of Understanding today to advance ways to allow passengers to combine both modes of transportation. This follows a similar agreement that KLM, a member of SkyTeam, has had with Eurostar for several years.
In an ideal scenario, a person would arrive at one of SkyTeam’s hubs in Europe on a long- or medium-haul flight and then take the last short leg of the journey on Eurostar trains. The alliance noted that currently, 13% of Eurostar passengers fall into this category. Eurostar claims that train travel reduces emissions by an average of 95% compared to air travel.
It is estimated that the SkyTeam and Eurostar alliance will come into effect during the first half of 2025. While the integration between airlines and trains is not new (similar agreements already exist, such as those between Renfe and Iberia), this is the first of its kind for alliances. In 2022, Star Alliance was the first to sign a similar agreement with Deutsche Bahn.
“Working with Eurostar as our first non-air partner underscores SkyTeam’s commitment to offering a more integrated and responsible travel experience by incorporating intermodal travel,” said Patrick Roux, CEO of SkyTeam.
“Eurostar, one of the most highly regarded rail operators in the world, with a reputation for customer service, is a perfect fit for SkyTeam. I look forward to developing our partnership and offering customers a greater variety of options for traveling through SkyTeam’s global network,” he added.
For her part, Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO of Eurostar, said, “Offering travelers the opportunity to visit Europe by rail in the most sustainable and comfortable way is a key element of Eurostar’s growth vision. We are creating a future where travelers can connect between Eurostar trains, national railways, and long-distance flights, opening our services to new markets worldwide.”
Eurostar indicates that it aims to increase from 19 million passengers transported in 2023 to 30 million in the coming years. Its fleet consists of 51 trains covering 28 destinations in Germany, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
The member airlines of SkyTeam are Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Europa, Air France, China Airlines, China Eastern, Czech Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Garuda Indonesia, ITA Airways, Kenya Airways, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Korean Air, Middle East Airlines, SAS, Saudia, TAROM, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, and XiamenAir. Aeroflot remains suspended following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
