Climate protest - Report: Lufthansa demands 740,000 euros from climate activists
According to a report in "Bild am Sonntag", the Lufthansa Group is demanding compensation of 740,000 euros from the activists of the climate protection group Letzte Generation. The background to this is the activists' disruptive actions, during which the airports in Hamburg, Düsseldorf and Berlin were paralyzed for hours.
Lufthansa had already announced claims for damages via its subsidiary Eurowings. "Eurowings will claim material damages for the airlines of the Lufthansa Group that were caused by the actions of activists at the airports in Berlin, Düsseldorf and Hamburg," it said in October. No details of the amount were given. The company did not wish to comment on the newspaper report at the weekend.
High claims for damages
According to the report, 57 Lufthansa Group flights (LH, Eurowings, Swiss) and 8,500 passengers were affected by protests at Hamburg Airport on July 13. Damage of 400,000 euros was incurred.
Also on July 13, 2023, 24 flights and 3000 passengers were affected at Düsseldorf Airport. Damage here according to the newspaper: 220,000 euros. During protests at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport in November 2022, the airline listed 35 flights and 5,000 passengers. According toBild am Sonntag, six defendants have already received demands for payment of 120,000 euros.
With their protest, the activists wanted to draw attention to the negative climate impact of air travel. During all three actions, members of the group were arrested after sticking to the runways. The police had launched investigations into the individuals, who are now eligible for compensation claims. According to earlier reports, the airlines Condor and Tuifly are also investigating claims.
Transport Minister Volker Wissing (FDP) announced a tightening of the Aviation Security Act. He is in agreement with Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) on this. "Blockades of airports with the aim of disrupting operations there far exceed the limits of legitimate protest. These are not minor offenses either," Wissing told Bild am Sonntag. Stricter penalties should be introduced as soon as possible.
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- Volker Wissing, the Transport Minister from Germany's FDP party, supports stricter penalties for airport blockades, as they exceed the limits of legitimate protest.
- Lufthansa Group's subsidiary, Eurowings, announced claims for material damages caused by climate activists at airports in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg.
- The police investigated the individuals involved in the arrests during climate protests at Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Berlin-Brandenburg airports.
- Eurowings reported that 57 of its flights and 8,500 passengers were affected by protests at Hamburg Airport on July 13, causing damage of 400,000 euros.
- The climate protection group Letzte Generation, through their disruptive actions, is being sued by Lufthansa Group for 740,000 euros in compensation.
- Condor and Tuifly are also reportedly investigating claims for damages related to the climate activists' protests.
- German authorities should take environmental pollution and climate change seriously, as air traffic contributes to the climate crisis, and criminal activity associated with protests against it is not a minor offense.
- The negative climate impact of air travel prompted climate activists to disrupt operations at airports, resulting in high claims for damages to airlines and passenger inconvenience, leading to the tightening of aviation security laws.
Source: www.stern.de
