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

Travel leads the France headlines this week, with several new direct routes announced between France and the US, including new links to Toulouse, Marseille and Nice. Meanwhile, passengers travelling in September should keep an eye on planned strike action, and smaller regional airports are warning that proposed changes to European funding rules could put some routes and airports under pressure.

Elsewhere, drought restrictions look set to continue into the autumn in many parts of France, while a new French high-speed rail operator has taken a significant step towards competing with SNCF.

New direct US flights to Toulouse, Marseille and Nice

There is good news for American property owners, buyers and visitors, with several new direct routes between the US and France confirmed for 2027.

United Airlines will launch a daily, year-round service between Washington Dulles and Toulouse from the 26th of April 2027 – the first direct connection between Toulouse and the United States. A new daily Newark-Mar­­seille route will follow from the 4th of June, while United is also adding a Denver-Paris service.

Nice is gaining another transatlantic connection too. American Airlines will launch a daily New York JFK-Nice service from the 6th of May 2027, giving the Côte d’Azur four direct links to the New York area and ten long-haul routes to North America overall. The additional routes could be particularly useful for US homeowners and buyers in Provence, Occitanie and the south of France.

September strikes could affect flights and public services

Travellers heading to France in September should keep an eye on a series of strike notices that could affect flights and public services.

Volotea pilots are set to strike from the 4th to the 6th of September, potentially affecting flights at several French airports, while a strike involving French bee cabin crew has been extended until the 6th. EasyJet cabin crew at its six French bases have also been covered by a rolling strike notice.

Further action involving public-sector workers is expected later in September. As always in France, a strike notice does not guarantee that disruption will take place, so passengers should check directly with their airline or transport provider before travelling.

French regional airports warn over proposed funding changes

Some of France’s smaller regional airports have warned that proposed changes to EU state-aid rules could make it more difficult for them to remain financially viable.

Under proposals due to apply from April 2027, the thresholds determining which airports can receive public money towards investment and running costs would be tightened. Airports including Montpellier, Lille, Ajaccio, Bastia and Strasbourg could potentially be affected, with further restrictions proposed from 2032.

The issue will be worth watching for British property owners in particular, as regional airports and seasonal UK routes play an important role in access to popular second-home areas. Brittany and south-west France are among the regions where smaller airports provide important alternatives to travelling through Paris.

Water restrictions could continue into autumn

France’s exceptionally dry summer could have consequences well beyond the traditional holiday season, with experts warning that water restrictions may remain in force through the autumn and potentially into winter in some areas.

As of the 27th of August, parts of 77 departments were subject to France’s highest crise level of drought restriction, while another 15 had areas at the alerte renforcée level. Measures vary locally but can include restrictions on watering gardens, washing cars and filling swimming pools.

Homeowners should continue to check their local restrictions through the official VigiEau service rather than assuming that limits end with the summer holidays, particularly in areas where groundwater and river levels remain unusually low.

New high-speed rail company moves closer to challenging SNCF

French rail start-up Velvet has received its operating licence from the Ministry of Transport, clearing one of the major hurdles required before it can begin competing with SNCF on France’s high-speed network.

The private operator plans to launch services from Paris to Bordeaux, Nantes, Angers and Rennes from 2028 and has ordered 12 new high-speed trains from Alstom.

Velvet still needs to obtain its safety certification before services can begin, but the licence marks an important step towards increased competition on some of western France’s busiest TGV routes. The company says it eventually plans to add around 10 million additional high-speed rail seats each year.

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