Rail Over Air: Banning Short Flights to Reduce Emissions

To reduce carbon emissions, Spain plans to ban many short-haul domestic flights.

Under the new law, flights that have a rail alternative available that takes less than two and a half hours will no longer be allowed. The move will bring the country one step closer to its 2050 climate action plan.

Spain follows in the footsteps of France, who enacted a similar law on domestic flight journeys in May of 2023. However, an exception to the rule will exist in Spain, with hub airports linking to international routes. Critics of the latest ban argue that it will only realistically result in a 0.06 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, as per data from the College of Aircraft Engineers. Ultimately, the ban must still be approved by the Senate to officially become law, with proponents arguing that any reduction in emissions is better than nothing.