Climate protest at Frankfurt Airport forces halt to flights

Emergency vehicles and police cars parked on a runway at the airport (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

More than 100 flights have been cancelled at Frankfurt Airport after climate activists glued themselves to the ground inside the premises, authorities said.

Federal police said several demonstrators got into Germany’s busiest airport in the early morning, German news agency dpa reported.

The Last Generation group said six protesters cut holes in the perimeter fence and headed towards the runways on foot, bike and skateboard.

Equipment left behind after a hole was cut in a fence (Michael Probst/AP)

The airport said shortly before 8am that flight operations were “gradually resuming”, and it later said that all runways were back in operation.

It added that about 140 flights had been cancelled so far — roughly a tenth of the flights scheduled for Thursday.

It was the second time in as many days that a protest by Last Generation – which is demanding that the German government negotiate and sign an international agreement on a global exit from the use of oil, gas and coal by 2030 – caused disruption at a German airport.

On Wednesday, five protesters glued themselves to a taxiway at Cologne-Bonn Airport, forcing a roughly three-hour halt to flights. That protest resulted in 31 flights being cancelled.

There were other protests or attempted protests in other European countries.

Police officers study the hole in the fence (Michael Probst/AP)

A string of airport protests in recent years have caused disruption to flights.Last week, the German cabinet approved legislation that would impose tougher penalties on people who break through airport perimeters.

The bill, which still requires approval by legislators, proposes punishment ranging up to a two-year prison sentence for people who intentionally intrude on airside areas of airports such as taxiways or runways, endanger civil aviation, or enable someone else to.

So far, such intrusions can only draw a fine. A sentence of up to five years would be possible in some cases.

CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY HUB