Climate activists from the group Last Generation staged protests at several German airports, temporarily halting flights. They demand more stringent climate protection measures and an international treaty to ban fossil fuels.
On August 15, protests by the climate activist group Last Generation led to flight cancellations at multiple German airports. According to the organization, two activists each infiltrated the airports in Berlin-Brandenburg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg, and Cologne/Bonn. Operations at the Cologne/Bonn and Nuremberg airports were temporarily suspended, resulting in cancellations and delays, as confirmed by the airports.
In Cologne/Bonn, operations were halted for “a good hour,” leading to the cancellation of 16 flights, according to a spokesperson. Nuremberg airport operations were suspended for approximately one hour and 15 minutes, with one flight and its return flight canceled, six flights delayed, and a rerouted flight from Prague arriving late. Flights at the Berlin and Stuttgart airports were not affected.
Police reported that the eight activists were taken into custody. The activists gained access to the airports between 5:10 and 5:45 a.m. by cutting holes in fences and then glued themselves to the grounds. In Nuremberg, for example, they adhered to the taxiway, the area between the apron and the runway.
Radical climate demands and legal responses
The Last Generation group demands radical climate action, including a complete ban on coal, oil, and gas. They are calling for an international treaty to enforce this. Since early 2022, the group has organized road blockades where participants glued themselves to surfaces. However, they have recently announced a change in strategy, moving away from this tactic. The activists have carried out several disruptive actions at airports, including Germany’s largest in Frankfurt at the end of July.
Following the protests, there were renewed calls for stricter penalties. The actions were described as “a concerted act of criminal extortion” by Ralph Beisel, the chief executive of the airport association ADV, who called for these “crimes” to be “consistently sanctioned” by the judiciary. The German government is pushing for a quick passage of a Cabinet decision to tighten the Aviation Security Act through the Bundestag.
The planned reform aims to deter radical climate activists and other disruptors from dangerous actions at airports. The core of the reform is a new regulation that penalizes the “intentional, unauthorized intrusion” onto areas such as the runway and taxiway, especially when the safety of civil aviation is compromised.
Government and airport responses
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) condemned the protests strongly, holding airports accountable on the platform X. “These criminal actions are dangerous and foolish,” Faeser wrote. “We have proposed severe penalties. And we are requiring airports to significantly improve their security measures.”
The ADV stated that the multi-layered security concept of airports, including fence systems, has proven effective. Air traffic was immediately halted, and “the reporting and alarm chains work reliably,” said Beisel.
Offer of dialogue with Letzte Generation
Last week, the ADV extended an offer of dialogue to the climate activists. In an open letter, the organization acknowledged that climate change is “undeniably one of the greatest challenges of our time” but argued that “criminal blockades of airports do not contribute to the solution.” Last Generation responded on X, expressing their willingness to engage in the conversation.
