Ferry links northern France and Ireland
A new direct ferry service between Ireland and northern France is set to launch in mid-June, with six weekly crossings in each direction planned between Cork and Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais).
Irish operator Hibernia Line said bookings opened on May 7, with fares starting at around €500 each way for a car and two passengers, bringing high-capacity passenger sailings to the French port for the first time in 15 years.
Crossings between Ringaskiddy, near Cork, and Boulogne-sur-Mer are expected to take around 21 hours. Ferries will depart each evening from Monday to Saturday in both directions.
The service will be operated by two ferries, the St Patrick and the Akka, carrying both freight and passengers, including cars, campervans, lorries, cyclists and foot passengers.
Brittany Ferries: no fuel surcharge
Brittany Ferries will not raise ticket prices this summer due to the fuel crisis, the operator has pledged.
The company, which serves several routes between the UK and France, says it hedged the cost of most of its summer 2026 fuel in January, meaning it has not been affected by heightened oil prices or shipment delays.
Arrangements for around 50% of its 2027 fuel supplies have already been put in place – putting the company ahead of some airlines that are currently facing a scramble to secure summer kerosene supplies or risk cancellations.
New easyJet winter flights to and from UK
Low-cost airline easyJet has unveiled nine new routes from French airports for winter 2026, including new domestic links, services to warmer destinations and a year-round UK connection.
New departures from Bordeaux will serve Malaga, Gran Canaria and Agadir, while Nantes gains routes to Essaouira and Brussels.
Nice will gain flights to Cairo and Lyon, with a second Cairo connection also launching from Paris-Charles de Gaulle.
The airline is also introducing a winter service between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Southampton, operating twice weekly from late October to March.
The route complements an existing summer-only service between the two cities.
EasyJet said the expansion reflects its growing commitment to the French market, as rival carriers reduce activity at some regional airports. Tickets for the new routes are already on sale.
London City-Toulon route
British Airways has launched a seasonal summer route between London City Airport and Toulon-Hyères, operating from May 23 to September 1 on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
Part of BA CityFlyer’s new “sun routes” strategy, tickets start from around €136 one-way, though prices vary.
The airline is also introducing similar seasonal services to Olbia in Sardinia and San Sebastián from Glasgow.
The Toulon route is marketed as “Toulon Saint Tropez” to highlight access to the French Riviera, with Saint Tropez around 50km away.
The service aims to offer a quicker, more relaxed link between London and the Var region while also improving outbound access for local travellers.
New international flights for winter 2026-27
Low-cost carrier Transavia has announced five new international routes from western France for the winter 2026-27 season, expanding services from Brest, Rennes, Nantes and Bordeaux.
New destinations include Seville, Cairo and São Vicente in Cape Verde, with fares starting from €42 one way.
The airline is also extending several seasonal routes into winter, including Paris-Orly to Edinburgh, alongside services to Greece, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Spain and Tunisia. Transavia said the expansion reflects strong demand for affordable travel and forms part of its strategy to grow operations from regional airports and Paris-Orly.
Tickets are now on sale for all routes.
The announcement comes as airlines seek to reassure passengers over potential disruption linked to kerosene shortages, although Transavia cancelled around 2% of flights earlier this year and Ryanair says it has little concern about summer cancellations.
US and UK summer flights to Nice
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport has unveiled its summer 2026 schedule, describing it as its most extensive yet, with 130 destinations in 47 countries.
Ten new or reopened routes have been added, including services to Newcastle, Boston, Cork, Seville and Cagliari.
The new Boston connection increases the number of direct US routes from Nice to seven, while the airport will offer 15 long-haul summer destinations in total.
Several routes launched last winter, including Chişinău, Hurghada and Vilnius, will now operate year-round.
Capacity is also being increased on a number of services, including flights to Birmingham, Bordeaux, Djerba and Paris.
The expansion comes as Nice Airport opens an extension to Terminal 2 to accommodate rising passenger numbers and support continued growth in tourism to the French Riviera.
Air transport tax cut
France has cut its air transport tax (TSBA) by 65% on 26 public service obligation (OSP) routes from June 1, reducing the levy from €7.40 to €2.63 per ticket.
French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said the move is intended to improve connectivity for remote and underserved regions while supporting local economies.
The reduction applies to key regional links such as Aurillac-Paris, Brive-Paris, Rodez-Paris, Limoges-Paris and Tarbes-Paris, as well as routes to Lyon and services between mainland France and Corsica.
The measure follows criticism from airlines over increases to France’s airline solidarity tax, with some carriers warning higher costs threatened the viability of regional routes. The government says the tax cut will make essential air links more affordable for residents, businesses and tourists while helping maintain access to areas with limited transport alternatives.
Cabin luggage reforms
European airlines are continuing to oppose EU plans that would guarantee passengers a free 7kg cabin bag in addition to a personal item, despite strong backing from MEPs.
The proposed reforms, approved by the European Parliament in January 2026, would also simplify compensation claims for delays and cancellations, provide immediate compensation for overbooking, and ensure parents can sit with children at no extra cost.
Airlines argue the baggage rules would increase costs, boarding times and ticket prices, while low-cost carriers warn they would lose significant ancillary revenue.
The measures remain stalled after EU transport ministers rejected Parliament’s version, triggering further negotiations between the European Parliament, Council and Commission.
Talks continue, but a June 2026 agreement appears increasingly unlikely. Without a deal, the reforms could be scrapped entirely, delaying any changes for several more years.
PARAFE e-gates
France has confirmed that British, American and several other non-EU nationals can once again use PARAFE automated border e-gates where available, including both visitors subject to the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) and residents holding valid visas or residency cards.
The move should reduce waiting times at passport control after e-gate access was restricted during the EES rollout.
However, technical problems continue to affect EES self-service kiosks, which are intended to collect biometric data such as fingerprints and facial scans.
For now, biometric registration is often being suspended, with airports and border authorities relying on temporary workarounds while software issues are resolved.
The situation has also caused confusion over which passport lanes residency card holders should use, with practices varying between airports. Airlines and airport operators have warned that delays could worsen if the system is not fully operational by the end of summer.
Nantes airport unveils automated luggage check-in
Nantes Atlantique Airport has become the first airport in France to introduce a conveyor belt-based self-service check-in system for hold luggage, aimed at reducing queues.
The new system allows travellers who have already checked in online or via an airline app to print baggage tags themselves and place their luggage directly onto an open conveyor belt.
Unlike existing automated bag-drop kiosks used at several French airports, the Nantes system enables multiple passengers to deposit bags simultaneously without waiting for an individual kiosk to become free.
Passengers must still weigh their luggage and confirm it contains no prohibited items.
