Climate Protesters Ground Flights at Cologne Airport by Blocking Runway

Cologne-Bonn Airport, one of Germany’s major regional airports, halted all flight operations on Wednesday morning after climate activists from the group Last Generation glued themselves to a runway. The incident led to significant disruption, with numerous inbound flights being diverted to other airports, including Düsseldorf, Hahn, Nuremberg, and Hannover.

The protest caused a major impact on flight schedules, resulting in numerous delays and cancellations for outbound flights. Cologne-Bonn Airport has issued warnings about the disruption and advised passengers to verify their flight status before heading to the airport.

The protest involved five members of Last Generation who managed to gain unauthorized access to the airfield and glue themselves to the tarmac. The group aims to pressure the German government into committing to a global agreement to phase out oil, gas, and coal by 2030. Although three of the activists were removed by police, the protest succeeded in drawing attention to their cause.

Last Generation announced that similar “peaceful, civil protests” were planned at airports across Europe and North America throughout the day. In Finland, climate protesters blocked security gates at Helsinki Vantaa Airport, while in Norway, three activists breached the perimeter fence at Oslo’s main Gardermoen Airport. The Norwegian trio were removed approximately 30 minutes after their entry.