Berlin Brandenburg Airport closed its runways due to unauthorized access of several people, while a climate group said its activists glued themselves to the tarmac.
Climate protesters of the “last generation” entered Berlin airfield without authorization on Thursday and air traffic had to be suspended in the meantime.
This was announced by a spokesman for the airport on Thursday. The two runways of BER could only be released again after one and a half hours at around 6:20 p.m., as an airport spokesman told the German Press Agency.
The activists from the group “Last Generation” entered the airport site in two places, both on the north and south sides. Therefore, both runways were closed.
Aktuell blockieren Unterstützer:innen der Letzten Generation das Rollfeld des BER.
Einige haben sich auf dem Asphalt festgeklebt, andere fahren mit Rad über den Rangierbereich und bringen so den Flugverkehr zum Erliegen. Vor dem Betreten des BER informierten sie die Polizei. pic.twitter.com/c6UGVfPDI9— Letzte Generation (@AufstandLastGen) November 24, 2022
The activists called on the public to stop travelling by air and on the government to stop subsidizing it, the group said on Thursday.
“In an airport area that is not open to the public, we encountered several people who had previously gained unauthorized access and some glued themselves,” Berlin police said on Twitter.
A spokesperson for the airport said police had detained the activists but the runways were closed in order for staff to check for and rule out the presence of further people.