Leeds Bradford Airport granted High Court injunction against fossil fuel protesters

On Thursday, Leeds Bradford Airport, London Luton Airport and Newcastle International Airport were given injunctions banning protesters from trespassing or causing a nuisance at the three locations.

Timothy Morshead KC, representing the airports, said activists from organisations such as Just Stop Oil (JSO) and Extinction Rebellion (ER) posed a serious threat to passengers and there was a “real and imminent risk of disruption”.

He told the court in London that “one cancelled plane can produce a cascade effect” noting that if a flight is late it impacts on the staff that can operate it.

The court heard that another issue was the threat of protesters being able to walk out onto the runway due to their smaller facilities.

Unlike airports such as Heathrow, passengers use the runway to board a flight, adding to the risk a protest could occur near a plane.

This makes these airports “vulnerable spaces” to protest, Mr Morshead told the court, due to the “very specific and deliberate threat” protesters offered.

Mr Morshead added that Leeds Bradford Airport has offered a space for protesters to gather.

Following the ruling a spokesperson for LBA, said: “The safety of passengers, our colleagues and the public are paramount. This injunction protects our passengers, staff and business partners and reduces the risk of disruption of passengers looking forwards to their holidays.

We want our passengers to be able to start and finish their journeys with us safely and with the best experience and this injunction will give us greater ability to put our passengers and their needs first.

“We wholeheartedly support the decarbonisation of aviation and recognise that the right to protest is a fundamental and important human right, however disrupting people’s travel plans and causing potentially fatal safety risks with irresponsible action is not the way to deliver the transition to net zero.

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“Seeking an injunction is not a decision we've taken lightly, but we cannot condone activity that endangers the safety of our passengers and colleagues.”

The injunction extends to all land and buildings forming part of Leeds Bradford Airport and means that all forms of trespass and protest within those boundaries will be subject to severe legal penalties.