For Coronavirus Aid, Air France Must Stop Competing With Rail

"One of three conditions imposed on Air France in exchange for a €7bn coronavirus aid package is to stop competing with TGV services where rail offers a viable alternative," reports David Briginshaw. 

The ban on short-haul domestic air travel will apply to routes where trains offer a journey time of 2h 30min or less. This means Air France will no longer be able to sell tickets for domestic travel on flights between Paris and Bordeaux, Lyon, Nantes or Rennes. Only passengers using these flights to connect with flights to other destinations will be allowed to travel by air.

Additional reporting on the subject is available from the BBC, which includes a soundbite from Bruno Le Maire, French minister of the economy and finance, saying that Air France should become "the most environmentally respectful airline" to receive government relief. The relief package would be the airline's second since the public health crisis shut down travel around Europe and all over the world.