Report: Lufthansa demands 740,000 euros from climate activists

Lufthansa's Money Grab: Climate Activists Faced with 740,000 Euro Claim

According to a weekend report in Bild am Sonntag, Lufthansa Group is looking to squeeze 740,000 euros from the eco-activists of Letzte Generation. The backdrop to this chunky sum stems from the activists’ disruptive stunts that left Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Berlin airports in a state of gridlock for hours.

Lufthansa had already hinted at a payback spree via its subsidiary Eurowings, giving a heads-up that they would be filing damage claims on behalf of their airlines against the activists who went on a rampage at the Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg airport termini last fall. The specifics on the damage amount weren’t spelled out in October, but the company remained tight-lipped ahead of the weekend's Bild am Sonntag report.

Unprecedented Damage Claims

Bild am Sonntag claims that 57 Lufthansa Group flights (including LH, Eurowings, and Swiss) and 8,500 passengers got caught up in the crosshairs during a July 13 uprising at Hamburg Airport. A reported 400,000 euros in damages were chalked up from the event.

That same day, 24 flights at Düsseldorf Airport and 3,000 passengers were hit by the protest ruckus, with the newspaper putting the blowback at 220,000 euros. And during protests at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport in November 2022, 35 Lufthansa Group flights and 5,000 passengers were affected. With a penalty of 120,000 euros to six defendants, it seems the sprint to pinpoint people to foot the damages has already started.

Protesters' green agenda inspired the uproar, with a call to action aimed at highlighting the destructive influence of air travel on the climate. During all three operations, members of Letzte Generation were arrested for scaling the runways. The cat-and-mouse game between the activists and police is ongoing – with law enforcement maintaining investigations on the arrestees, who now become potential injury claims for Lufthansa.

Volker Wissing, the FDP’s Stand-up Minister for Transport and Digitalization, has already proposed a crunch on aviation security laws following the escalating environmental issues and criminal acts supporting those protests.

Footnote:

1. Luftfahrt ohne Kohlenstock: The German edition of Stern Magazine reports on the issue, revealing how climate protests are disrupting air traffic and causing high damage claims to airlines [Source: www.stern.de]
2. The following paragraphs incorporate relevant enrichment data from the Stern Magazine article to enhance the understanding of current laws and proposed changes in the context of airport blockades during climate protests.

Enrichment Data: Current Laws and Proposed Changes Regarding Penalties for Airport Blockades During Climate Protests in Germany

1. Current Laws:
2. Section 129 StGB: This section of the German Criminal Code is primarily used for targeting organized criminal groups. However, there is a growing concern that it is being misused to sanction acts of civil disobedience, like those carried out by climate activists.
3. Charges Against Climate Activists:
4. The Neuruppin State Prosecutor’s Office have brought charges against members of the "Letzte Generation" group under Section 129 (1) of the German Criminal Code for non-violent civil disobedience actions, such as blocking fuel depots, oil pipelines, airport runways, and similar activities.
5. Proposed Changes:
6. There are no specific proposed changes mentioned in the sources regarding the penalties for airport blockades during climate protests. The concern lies primarily in the misuse of current laws to crack down on peaceful activists.

Response of Airlines to Damages Caused by Protests

1. Lufthansa Group and Subsidiaries:
2. Lufthansa Group: The group is a carbon emissions reducer-in-chief that has set emission reduction targets validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Lufthansa aims to become net-zero carbon by 2050, halving its net carbon emissions by 2030.
3. Eurowings: As a subsidiary of Lufthansa Group, Eurowings is actively involved in expanding its product portfolio and market access by launching its own tour operator, Eurowings Holidays GmbH.
4. Düsseldorf Airport’s Response:
5. Düsseldorf Airport filed a civil suit against Letzte Generation for the damages incurred as a result of a 2023 airport runway blockade, seeking repayment for the disruptions and delays caused by the protest.
6. General Impact on Airports:
7. The disruptions caused by climate protests have led to significant delays and cancellations at airports, such as Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). An overnight snowfall in February 2025 and previous blockades have navigated the airports into legal actions against climate activists.