Now eco mob target private jets: Small group of XR activists block all major entrances to Farnborough Airport in protest against emissions
- A stretched limousine was parked at the gates to Farnborough Airport in Hampshire as part of the protest
- The protesters including a former pilot are raising awareness of the emissions caused by private flights
- They are calling on the Government to ban private jet flights in Britain in order to reduce pollution
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Extinction Rebellion activists claim to have blocked all major entrances to a private airport in protest against emissions from private jets.
A stretched limousine was parked outside of the gates to Farnborough Airport in Hampshire as part of the protest.
The protesters, including a former airline pilot, are raising awareness of the emissions caused by private flights.
An Extinction Rebellion spokesman said: ‘As world leaders gather for the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow this month, protesters are calling on the world’s super-rich elite of celebrities, oligarchs and business leaders to ditch private flights.
Extinction Rebellion activists protest outside Farnborough Airport in Hampshire in demonstration against emissions from private jets
The protesters, including a former airline pilot, are raising awareness of the emissions caused by private flights
A stretched limousine has been parked at the gates to Farnborough Airport in Hampshire as part of the protest
Extinction Rebellion has today blockaded three key airport entrances, with activists locked on top of a three-metre high steel tripod at one gateway and to fuel barrels at a second
‘These private flyers, just one per cent of the world’s population, cause half of aviation’s global emissions. Extinction Rebellion is also demanding the Government stops private flights now.
‘The 30,000 private flights to and from Farnborough Airport each year carry an average of just 2.3 passengers, with each passenger responsible for the emission of nine times as much carbon as an economy flight to the US and 20 times that to Spain.
‘The airport has permission to increase flight movements to 50,000 a year.
‘In protest at this wanton level of pollution by the super-rich, Extinction Rebellion has today blockaded three key airport entrances, with activists locked on top of a three-metre high steel tripod at one gateway and to fuel barrels at a second.
Protester Todd Smith, 32, a former airline pilot from Reading, Berkshire, criticised Farnborough Airport’s move to offer sustainable aviation fuel as an alternative fuel
The 30,000 private flights to and from Farnborough Airport each year carry an average of just 2.3 passengers, protesters say
The airport says it ‘is aware of a number of unauthorised persons gathering at the entrance to the airport’
‘The third entrance is barricaded by a stretch limousine, with the driver locked on to the steering wheel and a protester dressed as a media mogul glued to the roof.’
Protester Todd Smith, 32, a former airline pilot from Reading, Berkshire, criticised Farnborough Airport’s move to offer sustainable aviation fuel as an alternative fuel.
He said: ‘The term ‘sustainable aviation fuel’ was coined by the aviation and fossil fuel industry to deceive the public and greenwash the utterly destructive nature of biofuels.
‘Biofuels result in land grabs, deforestation, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, rising food prices and land-use emissions which can be worse than the fossil fuel they are replacing.’
A spokeswoman for the airport said: ‘Farnborough Airport is aware of a number of unauthorised persons gathering at the entrance to the airport.
‘The airport is still fully operational. Authorities are continually monitoring the situation.’
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