Flights Halted as Climate Protesters Block Cologne Airport Runway
One of Germany's major regional airports, Cologne-Bonn, has suspended all flights after climate activists glued themselves to the runway. The airport reported that "unauthorized people" accessed the airfield on Wednesday morning, prompting police intervention and halting flight operations.
Inbound flights have been redirected to nearby airports, including Düsseldorf, Hahn, Nuremberg, and Hannover. Numerous departing flights from Cologne have faced delays or cancellations. The airport has issued a warning about "significant disruption" and advised passengers to check their flight status before traveling.
The activist group Last Generation claimed responsibility for the protest, stating that five individuals glued themselves to the tarmac to block air traffic. Photos shared by the group showed members with their hands glued to the runway, although police later removed three of the five protesters. Last Generation is advocating for the German government to pursue a global agreement to phase out oil, gas, and coal by 2030. They announced plans for similar peaceful, civil protests at airports across Europe and North America on Wednesday.
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In Finland, protesters were seen blocking security gates at Helsinki Vantaa Airport, while in Norway, three activists breached the perimeter fence at Oslo's main Gardermoen Airport but were removed within 30 minutes.
Cologne-Bonn ranks as Germany's sixth-busiest airport, following Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Berlin Brandenburg, Munich, and Frankfurt. This incident is not isolated; in May, Munich Airport was shut down for two hours after six climate protesters glued themselves to a runway, resulting in 11 flight diversions and approximately 60 cancellations. Following that disruption, Germany's Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, stated that security measures at Munich Airport would be reviewed.
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