Stop flying to travel by train: a solution for the planet?
The objective: reduce carbon emissions , and the means to achieve it: prohibit those internal short-haul flights where there is the alternative of traveling by train . The country where this news has just taken center stage it's France , although it is not a pioneering initiative. In 2020, the airline Austrian Airlines already replaced the air route between Vienna and Salzburg , and failing that, the train service was expanded to connect both cities.
air France , the main affected of this measure approved on April 10 by the French National Assembly , pending approval in the Senate before becoming law, has confirmed in statements to Traveler.es that "according to its environmental commitments and in the framework of the loans guaranteed by the French State in the spring of 2020, Air France has already interrupted its flights to Bordeaux, Lyon and Nantes from Paris-Orly ”. Or what is the same, despite the fact that the news has spread like wildfire in recent weeks, the reality is that it is not new . This is confirmed by sources from the airline itself, who add that “ this measure does not affect the routes to and from Paris Charles de Gaulle that are maintained as part of the hub feed ”. That is to say: connecting flights, even if they are short or can be carried out by train, will not be affected.
The limitation of flights in favor of the railway alternative is one of the most innovative measures of The Citizens Climate Convention in France , which was created by President Emmanuel Macron in 2019 . Its main objectives included the proposal to eliminate air travel where there were train trips of less than 4 hours, but it was finally reduced to two and a half hours after objections from some regions and from the airline Air France-KLM itself.
ENVIRONMENT VS INDUSTRY
France is not alone in this strategy when it comes to reduce CO2 emissions . Germany has also decided that the train is the priority means of transport for domestic journeys in the country with the same objective, to thus reduce CO2 emissions. By 2030, more than 20% of travelers will switch from traveling on domestic flights to traveling by train , something in which both the railway operator Deutsche Bahn and the German airline industry seem to agree, despite having to expand kilometers of routes and frequencies to accommodate travellers. On average, the plane emits 77 times more CO2 per passenger than the train on these routes.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO APPLY THIS MEASURE IN SPAIN?
In Spain “It would be necessary to identify which train routes last 2.30 hours and how many of them overlap with the plane, since the impact, both ecological and economic, in our country would come if the Air Shuttle would be affected, because it is a high-frequency and highly profitable air route ”. are words of Josep Huguet, Director of Tourism at Minsait Business Consulting g, who also advances: “it is true that the train has already taken away a lot of market share in the Puente Aéreo , but if the plane were eliminated, the increase in train passengers would be very significant”. The specialist also emphasizes airlines such as Air Nostrum, "which operate predominantly domestic flights" although he confirms that, as is the case in France, “ here the impact would be low ”. For Huguet this is "very pompous news", but the reality is that by isolating certain corridors such as Madrid-Barcelona , "The impact would not be very significant, neither for the economy nor for the planet," he says.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO FLY WITHOUT POLLUTING?
According to Civil Aviation, it is estimated that the s The aviation sector generates around 2% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide and tries, by initiative, to mitigate the CO2 emissions generated by airplanes ; For example, air operations are now 70% more efficient than 40 years ago. But despite the fact that the sector has been working for years on a more sustainable development model, it continues to be in the sights of environmentalists and now, and increasingly, of conscientious passengers.
For their part, airlines have been working for some time to reduce their environmental impact in order to offer a responsible travel experience. There are many examples of this.
Air France, the main affected by the measure of the suppression of short flights, has committed " to reduce CO2 emissions in absolute terms in the domestic flight network by 50% between now and 2024 ”. A difficult but not impossible mission, because the French airline has been committed to more sustainable aviation for years, which is why, for example, it has already eliminated 210 million single-use plastic products from its planes. A task that is neither easy nor cheap, which includes some dizzying figures that are worth celebrating: banishing 1,300 tons of plastics means that 210 million single-use products have been replaced by sustainable alternatives on all flights. 100 million plastic cups Now they are paper 85 million plastic cutlery they have been replaced by products made with bio-based materials or 25 million plastic stir sticks are now wooden sticks.
The case of American Airlines is even more ambitious. The airline has just presented its roadmap to reduce carbon emissions to zero by 2050 . An ambitious goal that they will try to achieve thanks to a sustainability strategy that involves maximizing fuel efficiency and renewing the fleet by incorporating the latest generation aircraft ( 585 new aircraft since 2013 ). The cards are on the table; That is why the American airline is already committed to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is produced from renewable resources (solid urban waste, used cooking oil, vegetable oils...). 99% of emissions are the result of burning jet fuel . So as an airline, reducing your consumption of petroleum-based jet fuel is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint. Said and done. We will only have to wait until 2050 to verify it...
Aviation may be late in committing to sustainability and caring for the planet, but no one can deny that the different initiatives are a proven fact that things are changing. Increasingly efficient aircraft, clean fuels and committed travelers will be key to a future in which, although it will not be possible to fly without polluting, yes let's find sustainable alternatives to achieve much more responsible air travel.
Achieve zero emissions goal in 2050