France to increase taxes on airline tickets to support investments in train infrastructure

France is planning to increase taxes on airline tickets to support investments in train infrastructure, aiming to make rail travel more appealing. Transport Minister Clément Beaune stated that these higher taxes are likely to be implemented in 2024 as part of the budget.

The intention behind this tax increase is to address the issue of flights often being cheaper than train travel, thus stimulating investments in railways. Minister Beaune also mentioned the possibility of introducing a European tax on aircraft fuel (kerosene) in the coming months. He emphasised that such a tax would need to be environmentally justifiable and agreed upon by all EU member states.

France’s state-owned railway operator, SNCF, has introduced lower-priced tickets for specific groups, including young people, to encourage train travel during the summer. Additionally, France recently implemented a ban on domestic flights for routes that can be covered by train in under 2.5 hours, but with so many exceptions that only three domestic routes were cancelled.