London City Airport has been granted a High Court injunction against environmental protest groups such as Just Stop Oil, City A.M. can reveal.
Lawyers acting on behalf of the airport requested an order in June to restrain such “threatened acts of trespass and nuisance” at the business travel hub.
The injunction will last for five years and comes in response to Just Stop Oil’s plans to cause disruption during what is expected to be one of the busiest summers for aviation in decades.
The eco-activist group wrote to all party leaders ahead of the general election, threatening a “campaign of noncooperation” against fossil fuel use at airports across the country.
Yaaser Vanderman, for London City Airport, argued the risk of harm posed by a campaign of airport protests was “significant.” He highlighted the potential for injury and death from trespassers venturing onto the airport’s land, who are at risk from moving aricraft and vehicles, or by coming too close to a jet engine.
Protests could also threaten national security, he added, with trespassers at the airport distracting police and security teams from counter-terrorism work.
Mr Justice Julian Knowles granted the injunction on June 20, court documents seen by City A.M. show, with it set to last until June 20, 2029. It will be reviewed on each subsequent anniversary for around an hour and a half.
City Airport is one of the most popular airport’s for corporate trips in the UK due to its proximity to Canary Wharf. It welcomed just over 3.4million passengers in 2023, although this was still short of a pre-pandemic total of 5.1million.
News of the ruling comes after a host of airports, including Heathrow, Stansted, Manchester and East Midlands were granted similar court orders against environmental protestors in the last week, following a spate of disruptive incidents.
Two Just Stop Oil activists were arrested on suspicion of criminal damage at Stansted Airport in June, after spraying orange paint over private jets. Extinction Rebellion activists blocked access to Farnborough Airport in the same month, resulting several arrests.
Airports and airlines are enjoying a booming summer of travel demand but are concerned disruption could affect flights in the remaining months.
Thousands of flights were cancelled last August due to a major glitch at the UK’s National Air Traffic Service (NATs). The previous year, airports faced chaos during the post-Covid ramp up as staff numbers failed to keep up with resurgent demand.
A London City Airport spokesperson said: “Like other UK airports and major transport organisations, we are taking steps to try and minimise travel disruption for our passengers and protect everyone’s safety, as airports are live operating environments with strict safety protocols.”
Just Stop Oil did not respond to a request for comment.