In the end, FlixBus will not find itself in a monopoly situation in France for very long.
While a few months ago, BlaBlaBus announced it would cease operations on January 4, 2027, due to “recurring and substantial operating losses“, several players had imagined taking up the mantle, but it was ultimately former insiders of the company who were behind the initiative.
Indeed, as of yesterday, the first PACO coach tickets are on sale, for services that will begin on January 15, 2027.
Created in 2015 with the opening to competition of national coach lines, a move championed by Emmanuel Macron, very quickly several operators entered the field.
Very quickly a duopoly formed as activity paused and acquisitions took place, up to April 2026, when BlaBlaBus, which had previously acquired Ouibus from SNCF, announced its intention to stem the financial hemorrhage.
A trigger for Arthur Bertrand and his partners.
“This summer of 2025, we started thinking about creating a mobility company. The BlaBlaBus announcement reshuffled the cards.
That same evening, I received messages from several coach operators and sector companies. We talked a lot and, after many discussions, I felt there was a place to take.,” he explains.
Even if BlaBlaBus was losing money, the company carried 6 million passengers per year, so it was a large market. This opportunity mainly materialized from operators’ willingness to continue running long-distance regular routes
While a few months ago, BlaBlaBus announced it would cease operations on January 4, 2027, due to “recurring and substantial operating losses“, several players had imagined taking up the mantle, but it was ultimately former insiders of the company who were behind the initiative.
Indeed, as of yesterday, the first PACO coach tickets are on sale, for services that will begin on January 15, 2027.
Created in 2015 with the opening to competition of national coach lines, a move championed by Emmanuel Macron, very quickly several operators entered the field.
Very quickly a duopoly formed as activity paused and acquisitions took place, up to April 2026, when BlaBlaBus, which had previously acquired Ouibus from SNCF, announced its intention to stem the financial hemorrhage.
A trigger for Arthur Bertrand and his partners.
“This summer of 2025, we started thinking about creating a mobility company. The BlaBlaBus announcement reshuffled the cards.
That same evening, I received messages from several coach operators and sector companies. We talked a lot and, after many discussions, I felt there was a place to take.,” he explains.
Even if BlaBlaBus was losing money, the company carried 6 million passengers per year, so it was a large market. This opportunity mainly materialized from operators’ willingness to continue running long-distance regular routes
that is the story told to us by Arthur Bertrand.
The cofounder of Paco.fr is no stranger to the sector.
