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Climate activists glue themselves to runway, halt flights at German airport

Climate activists glue themselves to runway, halt flights at German airport
A general view of the Cologne-Bonn airport on the day activists of the "Letzte Generation" (Last Generation) protest for a change in climate policy in Cologne, Germany July 24, 2024.
PHOTO: Reuters

FRANKFURT - Germany's Cologne Bonn Airport suspended flights for several hours on July 24 after climate activists glued themselves to a runway, while similar actions at other European airports were foiled by the authorities.

Cologne Bonn Airport, Germany's sixth-largest, said it had resumed operations in the morning after halting all flights shortly before 6am.

The campaign group Last Generation said on social media platform X that it had blocked air traffic at the airport, and published pictures of several activists with their hands glued to the runway.

The group, which wants the German government to pursue a global agreement to exit oil, gas and coal by 2030, listed several countries across Europe and North America where similar airport disruptions were planned on July 24.

The authorities said separately that activists' attempts to disrupt airports in London, Vienna, Oslo and Zurich had been foiled, and no major air traffic delays were reported there.

But Last Generation activist Ronja Kuenkler told media after the Cologne protest: "Today was just the beginning. Over the next few weeks we'll repeat this in Germany, Europe and around the world."

She declined to say if the Paris Olympics, starting on July 26, could be targeted.

The British police said in a post on X that they had arrested nine members of the climate action group Just Stop Oil for conspiring to disrupt Heathrow Airport, one of the world's busiest.

In Switzerland, three anti-oil demonstrators were detained after blocking a road to Zurich Airport, the police said. Footage broadcast on Swiss media showed a man gluing his hand to the road, sitting beside two other protesters holding banners.

Vienna airport said four protesters had spilt paint in a check-in area, but the police had intervened quickly to prevent further disruption.

In Norway, three activists were apprehended after cutting a hole in a fence and briefly making it onto a runway at Oslo Airport, the police said.

Helsinki's Vantaa airport said a demonstration by climate activists had had no impact on passengers or operations.

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