PSOE and Sumar reignite the debate on short-term flight ban For environmental reasons this may be replaced by train travel. The agreement of both entities to re-form a progressive coalition government was vaguely stated. Cut short flight offer if there is an alternative train route Less than two and a half hours. But it does so so clearly and with such profound qualifications that the promises become diluted, perhaps even almost ineffective.
“Like other countries around us, we will encourage the reduction of domestic flights on routes where there is a railway alternative with a duration of less than 2 and a half hours. Except for connections with central airports The phrase “connecting with international routes” literally contains the text of the agreement made public this Tuesday by President Pedro Sánchez and Vice President Yolanda Díaz.
Sources involved in investment deal negotiations acknowledge the plan includes: Do not include Madrid and Barcelona airport routes in this possible flight reductionwith interconnection centers (hubs, according to industry jargon) connecting flights to international destinations. The aim is to maintain Barajas and El Prat’s ability to compete with other European airports on connecting flights, which will significantly reduce flights affected by the disruptions.
Negotiate the details
Both parties accept this They now need to negotiate details of the scope of the measure It is stated that there are currently different sensitivities regarding the intensity of the cuts.
During the election campaign, Sumar had proposed banning flights that could replace train journeys of less than three hours. Since the measure is limited to two and a half hour railway alternatives, in principle only Flights connecting Madrid to Valencia, Alicante, Seville and also some special commercial offers to Barcelona and Malaga. However, if the aim is to preserve the international interconnection capacity, especially at Madrid Airport, the number of affected flights will be minimal, unless the negotiations for the development of legal regulations establish their real scope.
Sumar admitted after the agreement was announced that his intention was to apply the discount on flights to, for example, the following countries: Classic air bridge between Madrid and Barcelona. But sources close to the socialist negotiators point out that almost all train connections between both capitals take more than two and a half hours, so the air bridge will be excluded from future reductions.
The Ministry of Transport, currently commanded by socialist Raquel Sánchez, now plans to carry out a project. In-depth technical analysis on the impact of reducing flights shortcomings in the Spanish air market, as well as the environmental benefits that can be expected from the measure under the conditions under which it is included in the investment agreement.
“The Ministry of Transport will analyze the effect of the measure within the framework reached in the text. For this purpose, a technical study will be carried out that synthesizes the effect of the measure from a broad perspective, based on the agreement text.” perspective (connectivity, environment…)”, indicates official sources. Negotiating teams of the PSOE-Sumar government agreement emphasize that it is vital for the Ministry of Transport to maintain the status of Barajas and El Prat as an international hub, and this concern weighs on the talks and the final agreement.
Airline reviews
Airlines completely reject the implementation of flight vetoes and are determined to move towards a combination of different means of transport, in particular by introducing high-speed rail lines directly to major airports in order to reduce the need for short-term air routes. .
HE President of Iberia, Fernando Candelareacted to the proposal to reduce short-haul flights because this would leave passengers who do not live in Madrid without connections to long-haul destinations. According to the executive, the elimination of these short flights will mean that passengers from, for example, Valencia or Bilbao will not be able to fly to Madrid to connect to long-haul destinations such as the United States or Latin America. and I’d rather fly to others hubs Europeans love Paris or Frankfurt.
Airlines Association (ALA) He rejected flight bans and advocated the need to promote intermodality by ensuring that high-speed rail lines reach major airports such as Madrid and Barcelona directly so that passengers can take a combined train trip to both capitals and then fly to other destinations. farther.
High-speed rail gradually took control of aircraft on Spain’s major routes, and the liberalization of rail and the entry of private competitors to Renfe (Iryo and Ouigo) accelerated the market takeover. The train already controls almost 80% of passengers on the Madrid-Barcelona route, on the Madrid-Valencia route this figure reaches 90% and on the routes between the capital and Alicante, Malaga and Seville it already exceeds 75%. Airline employers argue that passengers still using aircraft on these routes do so mostly to climb and fly to other destinations.