DALLAS — Flight operations at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) were temporarily halted on Thursday morning following a disruptive protest by climate activists. This led to the cancellation of approximately 140 flights out of a planned 1,400 departures. More than 50 flights were diverted to other nearby airports.

A group of climate activists from the organization reported as Oil Kills managed to breach security and access the airport's tarmac. Six protesters glued themselves to the runway, forcing authorities to temporarily suspend all flight operations for safety reasons.

The incident follows a series of similar protests staged by climate activists across European airports, including Cologne-Bonn (CGN) in Germany, Oslo (OSL) in Norway, Barcelona (BCN) in Spain, and Helsinki (HEL) in Finland. These demonstrations highlight the growing concerns about climate change and the tactics employed by activists to draw attention to their cause.

Flight Resumptions

Thanks to the swift response of German Federal Police, Hesse State Police, Airport Security, and Frankfurt Airport's fire and emergency department, all runways resumed operations by 7:50 AM local time. However, the disruption caused significant delays and cancellations, with passengers advised to check their flight status before heading to the airport.

Frankfurt Airport has strongly condemned the actions of the protesters, highlighting the severe danger posed to flight operations and the potential for human harm. The airport emphasized its robust security measures, including a 30km-long fence, technical surveillance, and regular patrols.

“We sharply condemn these unauthorized demonstrations and we reserve the right to take legal action against the participants. Their activities pose severe danger to flight operations – possibly putting human life at risk. These illegal activities represent a dangerous interference with air traffic. The perpetrators face severe penalties and high civil claims for damages," said an airport spokesperson.