Tourists and locals in Spain may soon be traveling by land instead of by plane, depending on the length of their trip.
According to Euronews, a proposal passed by Spain's lower house of parliament in February plans to outlaw short-haul domestic flights in favor of rail alternatives that can cover the same distance in less than two and a half hours. .
“For most travelers, the impact is probably very low,” industry analyst Seth Miller told AFAR. “In many cases, airlines continue to operate short-haul routes to accommodate connecting passengers from overseas.”
The bill, which still needs Senate approval to become formal, has been in the works since 2021 and closely mirrors the law France enacted last year. Politico added that the restrictions apply to flights from Barcelona, Valencia, Alicante and Seville to Madrid operated by airlines such as Iberia, Vueling and Air Europa.
International connecting flights at major airports will be excluded, but it should help Spain meet its climate goals by 2050.
According to data from the European Parliament Research Service published in April 2021, the transport sector was the biggest contributor to Spain's total global warming pollution in 2019, accounting for 27%. In the same year, the country accounted for 9% of all global greenhouse gas pollution emitted by the EU.
Spain's goal to become a carbon-neutral, sustainable and climate-resilient country by 2050 includes introducing a mileage tax and airfare tax based on distance traveled.
According to Euronews, Spain's Socialist Workers' Party and the Xmalist party are also discussing restricting the use of private jets and taxing energy products such as kerosene, which is used to fuel aircraft.
According to a 2023 study published by Greenpeace, Spain ranked fourth among EU member states with 45,633 private jet flights in 2022, with 268,853 tons of private jets departing from the country. Carbon dioxide was released. The production of this global warming gas increased by 92% year-on-year and is equivalent to the annual average carbon pollution from 162,567 cars.
Opponents of the plan point to France, saying its policies have so far done little to curb carbon pollution. However, that could change quickly if more countries adopt similar policies.
“Introducing such a policy for the first time carries significant risks. But with France and now Spain pushing to move short-distance travel to rail rather than plane, there are potentially devastating side effects. It will help other governments understand that a transition is possible without a transition,” Miller told AFAR.
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