Climate change protestors shut down Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport was closed for 20 minutes this morning (May 24th) as climate change protestors surrounded a jet on the tarmac.

The airport was brought to a standstill at around 07:30 BST after six campaigners from the protest group Manchester Plane Stupid breached security and ran across the airfield.

Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, group member Lisa Jameson said: "This isn't just about airport expansion or rising carbon emissions. This is about challenging an economic system based on the absurdity of infinite growth on a planet of finite resources."

Forming a human circle around a Monarch Airlines aircraft, the protestors locked themselves around the wheel, grounding all airplanes for nearly half an hour.

The protests were against the decision to expand the World Freight Terminal and another group of campaigners blocked the entrance to the terminal with a flag that read 'More airfreight = more climate change'.

Already handling 170,000 tonnes of cargo every year, the terminal is expected to increase its capacity to 250,000 tonnes.

Posted by Claire Manning