Spain wants to ban certain short domestic flights as part of its plan to reduce carbon emissions. The resolution has just been adopted by the two political parties in the government coalition, the PSOE socialists and the radical left-wing Sumar. However, it still has to pass through various committees and the Spanish Senate before coming into force.
The text stipulates that flights where there is a rail alternative of less than 2.5 hours will no longer be authorised.. However, this is not the end of the story, the ban will not apply "where there are connections with hub airports linked to international routes". Which in fact excludes Madrid and probably Barcelona -In order to respect the delicate balance between Catalonia and central government.
LThere is therefore likely to be virtually no effect on the network. This is similar to what happened in France, where only three air routes disappeared following the adoption of a similar ban.
Less ambitious restrictions than originally planned
It can be seen that the future ban has been cut compared to Sumar's initial plan. Initially, Sumar wanted to ban domestic flights in competition with rail connections of less than 4 hours.
In the first version, the measure would have saved up to 300,000 tonnes of CO2 and 50,000 flights a year. This is the analysis of a study published last year by Ecologistas en Acción. The study identified 11 air routes. This would have reduced Spain's CO2 emissions by almost 10 %.
The government's opposition, for its part, explains that the new text would only lead to a 0.06 % reduction in emissions, according to data from the College of Aeronautical Engineers (COIAE). But it would damage the reputation of Spanish aviation...
The routes that could be affected by the future law have not yet been identified.. But it's going to be difficult to find one if Madrid and probably Barcelona are excluded.
The two political parties - PSOE and Sumar - are also seeking to analyse the potential impact of restricting the use of private jets and a European Union directive on the taxation of energy products, including paraffin.
