MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Protesters have caused disruptions to flights at the London City Airport by occupying the runway, the airport said in a statement on its website on Tuesday.
"We're currently experiencing disruption to all flights due to protesters at the airport. Police are currently on the scene," the statement said.
Disruption continues due to protestors at LCY, police are on site. We apologise for inconvenience, check with airline for flight status.
— London City Airport (@LondonCityAir) 6 сентября 2016 г.
According to media reports, a group of demonstrators, believed to be members of the environmental campaign group Plane Stupid, occupied the runway early on Tuesday. The group has since been reportedly surrounded by police.
All flights set to land at the airport have now been diverted to the UK airports of Southend and Gatwick, according to the Evening Standard newspaper.
Plane Stupid is opposed to the proliferation of short-distance flights which has accompanied the advent of low-cost airlines in Europe. While budget air travel has opened up the European continent to UK residents who would have otherwise lacked the means to visit countries such as Spain and the Czech Republic, the environmental radicals argue that the planes generate too much carbon dioxide.
