Berlin-Brandenburg Airport (BER) has filed a lawsuit against six members of the climate activist group “Last Generation”.
In November 2022, the activists paralyzed the airport's flight operations for almost two hours with a blockade action, causing considerable damage. The airport company is now demanding compensation of around 33.000 euros. This sum is intended to cover the costs incurred by the disruption to flight operations, including repair work, the deployment of the airport fire brigade and lost revenue.
The background to the lawsuit
On November 24, 2022, several activists from the "Last Generation" entered the BER site without authorization. Two groups gained access to the airport's security area, with some of them gluing themselves to the ground in order to deliberately disrupt flight operations. As a result, the airport had to cease operations on both runways. The action led to significant delays and disruptions for several thousand passengers. A total of 40 flights were affected, which were either canceled or diverted to other airports.
The airport company stressed that the blockade action had significantly disrupted the airport's operations and that such actions would not be tolerated. "With this lawsuit, we want to make it clear that we have zero tolerance for such blockades and that the perpetrators must also be held accountable to the airport," explained an airport spokeswoman.
The claims and their legal basis
The claim for damages was filed with the Cottbus Regional Court, but the court has yet to confirm the claim. The claim, amounting to around 33.000 euros, is made up of various items, including the costs of restoring the security fence, the deployment of the airport fire service and the lost income due to cancelled take-offs and landings. This sum only represents the direct damage caused to the airport by the blockade.
The airport company points out that this was not the first time that climate activists tried to disrupt flight operations at BER. There were four such attempts in total, but flight operations only had to be actually interrupted on November 24, 2022.
Reactions and further legal consequences
The blockade actions of the "Last Generation" have not only had a major impact on BER, but also on other airports and airlines. Lufthansa has already made claims for damages totaling 740.000 euros against participants in similar actions. In addition, the group's recent disruptive actions at Frankfurt Airport, one of Europe's most important hubs, have resulted in additional damages running into the millions.
The activists of the "Last Generation" justify their actions with the urgent need for action in the fight against climate change. They see themselves as the last defenders of an impending climate catastrophe and deliberately use media-effective actions to draw attention to their concerns. Critics, including many from the aviation industry, accuse the group of acting irresponsibly and ignoring the damage they are causing.
The lawsuit filed by Berlin-Brandenburg Airport could set a precedent with far-reaching consequences for the climate activist movement. It remains to be seen how the court will decide and whether the activists will be required to pay damages. If they are convicted, this could encourage other airports and companies to also take legal action against activists whose actions disrupt operations.
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