According to police spokesman Raimund Schwaigerlehner, four people started a demonstration in the departure hall of Terminal 3 and spilled liquid. However, passenger traffic was not restricted. The situation was different at Cologne/Bonn Airport, where there were no flights for hours.
The unannounced protest action at Vienna Airport started at lunchtime. According to the “Last Generation” movement, orange warning paint was spilled in the hall. “Airport employees reacted quickly and diverted the flow of guests,” Schwaigerlehner told APA. According to the “Last Generation,” a flight to Rome was also delayed in Schwechat because two people refused to sit down shortly before takeoff.
Protest ended at 1pm
The protest in Terminal 3, during which signs were also held up, was ended by those involved at around 1 p.m. According to Schwaigerlehner, the identities of the four people have been established. The quartet will be reported under administrative law for the unregistered assembly and for disturbing the peace. In addition, from a criminal point of view, there is suspicion of property damage. The “Last Generation” pointed out that the warning paint was water-soluble gouache that could be removed without leaving any residue.
In a statement, Vienna Airport expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to passengers. The identified persons will be “held liable for damages” for the damage to property, it was announced. In general, the airport rejects such actions: “Disruptive actions do not contribute to climate protection, but only lead to the destruction of public discourse.”
Air traffic in Cologne interrupted for several hours
At Cologne/Bonn Airport, air traffic was interrupted for several hours from 5:45 a.m. Five people who had stuck themselves to the apron had to be removed from there, according to the Cologne police. The runways were reopened at around 9:00 a.m. As a result, according to an airport spokesman, 31 flights were cancelled, including 15 take-offs and 16 landings. Six flights had to be diverted. There were also an unknown number of delays. The police announced that criminal charges had been filed for violating the assembly law, dangerous interference with air traffic and trespassing. It must be determined how the activists actually got onto the site.
However, due to the situation in Cologne/Bonn, two flights had to be cancelled at Vienna Airport on Wednesday morning. One was a departure and one was an arrival. “Further flights between Cologne and Vienna are planned for the evening and are currently taking place as planned,” was emphasized upon request.
No protests at other Austrian airports
There were no reports of protests at the other Austrian airports until midday. “Even though we currently have no information about planned protests, we are monitoring the situation closely,” Barbara Schmoczer-Kuchling from Klagenfurt Airport told APA at around 9:30 a.m. “We have adjusted our security precautions and are in ongoing coordination with other airports and authorities.” Corresponding APA inquiries about the situation at the other airports in Austria were still open. The situation at Linz Airport was similar. There were neither protests nor any restrictions for passengers in the morning. “Flight operations are running completely normally,” was the response to the inquiry. At Innsbruck Airport, however, due to the announcement of protests, in cooperation with the authorities, the airport’s security was increased with additional patrols both during the day and at night, the airport said.
- Read more: Protests planned at airports: Linz Airport is also preparing
Road to Zurich Airport blocked
A protest also took place in Switzerland. A group of protesters blocked the road to Zurich Airport. However, the action was over after ten minutes because the cantonal police broke up the blockade. The activists were part of the “Act Now!” group, which belongs to “Extinction Rebellion”. The action was directed “against a government that continues to remain inactive in the face of the worsening climate crisis,” the movement explained.
In Norway, according to police, three activists were arrested in the early hours of the morning. They had cut a hole in a fence and briefly made it onto a runway at Oslo airport. There were also pictures on the short message service X of activists at Helsinki airport showing protest signs with slogans such as “Oil kills”. British police announced that nine activists from the climate protection group “Just Stop Oil” had been arrested while attempting to disrupt operations at London Heathrow Airport. A video posted by “Just Stop Oil” on X shows police arresting several people on a bypass road directly in front of a fenced runway. Similar protests at airports were also announced by climate activists on Wednesday for the Netherlands, Canada, the USA and Scotland.
“It was just the start”
The activists of the “Last Generation” want to continue their protests at airports. “Today was just the start,” said German activist Ronja Künkler at a press conference in Berlin on Wednesday. “In the coming weeks we will repeat this in Germany, in Europe, internationally, worldwide.” The protests are taking place as part of the international initiative “Oil Kills”. The group called on the German government to help develop and sign a legally binding, international agreement that would regulate the global phase-out of oil, gas and coal by 2030.
The “Last Generation” in Germany announced on Wednesday that several activists cut through a fence and glued themselves to the asphalt near runways. The group announced via the X network (formerly Twitter) that the action was part of an international protest campaign calling for an exit from fossil fuels by 2030. The group published a photo of an activist with his hands glued to a runway. A banner with the inscription “Oil kills” can also be seen. “We call on the federal government to help develop and sign a legally binding, international agreement that regulates the global exit from oil, gas and coal by 2030,” the group said in a statement.
This article was last updated on July 24, 2024 at 2:02 p.m.
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