FRANCE HAS approved state financial support to maintain air services on 22 internal routes where there is insufficient traffic to ensure profitability.
The money will be provided from a Fr3 (60¢) levy on each passenger ticket sold for travel within France. The European Commission introduced the idea of such support in 1993 as part of its liberalisation process to maintain services to less-busy destinations attracting between 10,000 and 150,000 passengers a year.
The 22 routes were chosen from 33 applications. Ten are for departure from Paris Orly, the rest are between other destinations. Under the Government contracts to be awarded, it is required that regular services must be maintained throughout the year, with at least two flights a day and no more than 21 a week.
Source: Flight International