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 aircraft 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 Whar.
