09:21, Sat 28 Jan
Barking Poslethwaite
A good opportunity to do away with UK internal flights altogether. No justification for taking planes given the distances involved.

Moving forward that has to be the goal environmentally speaking, as Air France have done to some extent.
There's too much opinion and not enough fact.
09:21, Sat 28 Jan
ZLAMMER
ridiculous statement

It isn't really.
There's too much opinion and not enough fact.
09:23, Sat 28 Jan
he said do away with all internal flights. Thats ridiculous.
09:23, Sat 28 Jan
Barking Poslethwaite
A good opportunity to do away with UK internal flights altogether. No justification for taking planes given the distances involved.

What a load of tosh.
09:23, Sat 28 Jan
No it isn't.

It just shows how crap our rail services are that it's "cheaper" and quicker to fly a few hundred miles than get the train.

I believe France (who actually invested in a high speed rail network) have banned internal flights of less than two hours if there is an equivalent rail service, which is far far better for the environment.
The cold never bothered me anyway
09:23, Sat 28 Jan
All internal flights is, it really is.
09:24, Sat 28 Jan
[quote="Barking
09:25, Sat 28 Jan
Spying Cop
Barking Poslethwaite
A g
09:25, Sat 28 Jan
he said do away with all internal flights. Thats ridiculous.

Not really. If the UK would’ve properly invested in high speed rail transport in the 80s and 90s like every other UK sized country in Europe the domestic flight market right now would be tiny.

Alas we didn’t because we have no ambition and are a nation of NIMBYs and we’re stuck in a world where flying for 45 minutes makes more sense than a train ride.

It doesn’t have to be that way forever.
09:26, Sat 28 Jan
its further to go to inverness from Birmingham than it is to Paris but there is no suggestion of banning those flights.

Its a ridiculous statement to say ban all internal flights.
09:27, Sat 28 Jan
It's shorter miles wise on the Eurostar from London to Paris than it is to fly from Birmingham to Scotland so maybe we should take up Barkings thought and be consistent with it 😛
09:33, Sat 28 Jan
It currently is.

There is no consistent viable alternative


It may be the chance of genuine change but doing away with all internal flights will at present, cost businesses, and not to mention people jobs
09:34, Sat 28 Jan
If there was a Birmingham - Paris train I’d take that over flying too. If you lived in London why would you ever consider flying to Paris? The RER trip from De Gaulle to Gare Du Nord is longer than the flight.
09:35, Sat 28 Jan
flying doesn't always make more sense but in any country flying 400 miles is quicker than a train and in some circumstances makes more sense. To suggest banning ALL internal flights in the uk is for the fairies.
09:37, Sat 28 Jan
IanT
Barking Poslethwaite
A good opportunity to do away with UK internal flights altogether. No justification for taking planes given the distances involved.

Moving forward that has to be the goal environmentally speaking, as Air France have done to some extent.

It misses the point though that for many, the convenience of flying is the ability to do a round trip and complete whatever you have to do within a single day.

I think you're right, broadly agree environmentally speaking, and it will happen, it will be part of the changing world we all will have to accept

EDIT it's also hard to argue with the fact the UK through short sightedness will be less prepared compared to others for the change