Extinction Rebellion, the climate activists who closed off Westminster Bridge earlier this week, are now staging a three-day protest at London City Airport. Yesterday, a Paralympic medallist climbed on top of a British Airways plane, whilst another protester refused to take his seat causing a two-hour delay to the flight.
Passengers travelling from London City Airport will have their boarding passes checked at the entrance in an attempt to stop Extinction Rebellion from entering the airport. However, both men yesterday had brought tickets.
The climate activists have said they will disrupt passengers by lying or sitting in from of departure and arrival gates. Some protesters glued themselves to and blocked the entrance of the airport but were arrested shortly after.
London City Airport is thanking its passengers for their patience during the protests and has advised them to check the status of their flight before heading to the airport. So far only two flights have been cancelled, with the rest leaving on schedule or with a slight delay.
It is believed the airport is a target due to its £2bn expansion plan.
Passengers that have their flight cancelled due to the protests should speak to their airline, who will be able to book them on the next available flight. Whilst compensation isn’t available under these circumstances the airline may provide refreshments and accommodation, depending on the length of the delay. For delays over 12-hours, passengers can claim compensation from their travel insurance company. Amounts and terms will be outlined in the policy wording. If the airline is unable to offer another flight within 24-hours (or 12-hours on some policies), passengers will be entitled to claim for cancellation under the travel abandonment section of their policy.
Earlier this week, Extinction Rebellion closed off key sites around Westminster. Vital emergency service routes were also blocked with protesters refusing to allow some response vehicles through.
It is not known where the Extinction Rebellion will be protesting after London City Airport, but it was warned that international protests would last for two-weeks. So far over 1,000 arrests have been made and 29 people have been charged.
