Air France is holding talks about a joint venture that could see some of its short-haul flights switched to rail and increase competition for continental Europe's mainly state-owned high-speed train operators.
The move could mark the beginning of a decline in short-haul air travel on routes such as ParisFrankfurt, which now enjoy good high-speed rail links. High-speed rail has already nearly eliminated air travel on some European routes, such as Paris-Brussels.
The French flag carrier, part of Air France-KLM, is holding discussions with Paris-based Veolia Transport, part of the Veolia Environnement group.
