Chaos as climate activists glue themselves to runway of major airport, causing dozens of flight cancellations

18 May 2024, 11:24

Climate activists have caused chaos by gluing themselves to the runway of a major European airport, leading to dozens of flights being axed.

The activists from the 'Last Generation' group shut down Munich airport on Saturday morning, with six of them gluing themselves to the tarmac.

Some 60 flights were cancelled amid the disruption.

Eight of the climate protesters have been arrested.

The Last Generation publicly took responsibility for the stunt, with videos posted on social media showing activists wearing orange vests sitting on the runway.

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"A total of six people are sitting in two groups on different locations of the Munich airport," they said.

"It is absurd that people can afford flights more than train journeys," they added separately.

"The responsibility for this lies with the government: it subsidises flights while the railways are ruined by cost-cutting."

Munich airport said it had been closed for take-offs and landings for two hours, leading to the flight cancellations.

Eleven flights were diverted and delays were still possible, airport bosses said.

The airport said the protest took place during one of its busiest periods, behind only the Easter holidays.

German authorities said new laws were needed to tackle this kind of protest, which currently is classed as a minor offence.

Interior minister Nancy Faeser said: "the perpetrators must be vigorously pursued".

She added: "Such criminal actions endanger air traffic and harm climate protection because they only cause contempt and anger".

Meanwhile in the UK, Just Stop Oil are planning to heap holiday hell onto summer tourists by disrupting airports in the UK and abroad from mid-June.

Protestors want to halt flights by glueing themselves to runways, storming terminals and climbing onto jets to cause crippling delays.

Group member Phoebe Plummer added: “The most exciting part of this plan is that [it’s] going to be part of an international effort.

"Flights operate on such a tight schedule to control air traffic that with action being caused in cities all around the world we’re talking about radical, unignorable disruption.”