New Flight Routes, September Strikes and Drought Restrictions: News Digest

Several new direct flight routes have been announced between France and the US this week, with US carriers United Airlines and American Airlines set to launch year-round services. United will begin a daily, non-stop service between Washington Dulles and Toulouse on April 26th, 2027, followed by a daily Newark-Marseille route on June 4th.

American Airlines will add a daily New York JFK-Nice service starting May 6th, 2027. These new routes are particularly beneficial for US homeowners and buyers in Provence, Occitanie, and southern France. However, American travelers should keep an eye on strike notices for September, which may impact flights and public services. Volotea pilots are scheduled to strike from September 4th to 6th, and EasyJet cabin crew have been covered by a rolling strike notice since the beginning of the month.

Additionally, smaller regional airports are warning that new EU funding rules, set to take effect in April 2027, could restrict their ability to receive government funding for investments and operational costs. Airports in Montpellier, Lille, Ajaccio, Bastia, and Strasbourg could be affected, with further cuts proposed by 2032. Similarly, drought restrictions are likely to persist into the autumn and possibly winter in certain parts of France due to the country's exceptionally dry summer.

The highest drought level of crisis affects 77 departments, while another 15 have areas under alerte renforcée. Homeowners should stay informed about their local restrictions through France's VigiEau service. Finally, Velvet, a French high-speed rail start-up, has received its operating license from the Ministry of Transport, paving the way for competition with SNCF on the high-speed network.

Velvet plans to launch services between Paris and Bordeaux, Nantes, Angers, and Rennes starting in 2028, with 12 new high-speed trains ordered from Alstom. The company aims to add around 10 million additional high-speed rail seats annually.