Spain becomes latest European nation to ban short-haul domestic flights

How will the ban protect the planet?

The first draft of the ban suggested slashing flights with rail alternatives of less than four hours.

According to research conducted by Ecologistas en Acción, this first proposal would have been incredible impactful, saving up to 300,000 tonnes of CO2, ending up to 11 flight routes, and preventing 50,000 passenger flights per year.

However, the official ban was later changed to flights with alternative routes under 2.5 hours. Critics have said that the amount of air travel actually prevented by the revised measures would be minimal, hardly reducing the nation’s overall carbon footprint.

Many believe the ban could be insignificant in the long term, as it is only expected to reduce the nation’s emissions by 0.06 percent.

Spain’s decision follows on the heels of the French government, which officially banned domestic flights for journeys that can be made in less than two and a half hours by train in May last year.

Similar to France, those opposed to the incoming law said that ‘the damage that would be caused to the air transport industry in [the country] will be considerable’ while the benefits for the environment would not.

It isn’t clear yet when the ban will come into effect or which flight routes will be forced to end, as the ban needs several more amendments before it can be approved and become law.

No doubt, airlines operating short-haul flights within Spain will argue against the incoming policies. However, any attempt to encourage more sustainable travel is a stepping stone in the right direction if we are to cut emissions wherever possible.