France.13 April strikes and mobility incidents. Domestic short-haul flights are banned in favour of trains.

Protests could multiply again this week all over France, with blockades on roads, in front of universities, at train stations and airports. If you use the train, there may be some disruption at the start of the week, because at the SNCF, rail workers are still on renewable strike and it will be minimal compared to 12 April, the last planned day of strike action.

Events will take place all over the country. And it is expected that by Friday 14 April, unions will support any strike, action or demonstration on that day.

Educational, health and local government facilities may close or offer reduced services, although emergency medical treatment is likely to continue. Private company staff may also take part in strikes, which will lead to disruptions and closures.

As of 7 April it is not known whether the union representing air traffic controllers (ATC) will take part in the strike on 13 April. Previous mobilisations have caused delays to flights at French airports and to planes passing through French airspace. At several airports, including Paris-Orly (ORY), Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS), Bordeaux-Merignac (BOD), Marseille-Provence (MRS) and Nantes-Atlantique, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) has asked airlines to reduce flight schedules by 20% to 25% in anticipation of these strikes. Following the strike days, affected airports can expect continued disruption while airlines readjust crews and aircraft and airports clear passenger congestion.

In Toulouse, a transport strike is underway, with no metro running and all stations closed. The tramway, for its part, is severely disrupted. Only the Teleo cable car will operate normally today. Bus lines have been extended to make up for these shortcomings.

Confirm all transport bookings and allow extra time for travel in major cities.

France has received approval to ban short-haul domestic flights.

The European Commission has approved the measure, which will abolish flights between cities linked by a train journey of less than 2.5 hours. The ban on short-haul flights will be valid for three years.
In principle, the ban will only affect three routes between Paris Orly and Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux, where rail alternatives exist.

If rail services improve, more routes could be added, including those between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Lyon and Rennes, as well as between Lyon and Marseille. Currently they do not meet the criteria for the ban because trains to Paris and Lyon airports do not allow passengers to arrive early in the morning or late at night.

Routes from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Bordeaux and Nantes have not been included because the journey time exceeds the 2.5 hour limit.

Connecting flights will also have to follow these new rules.