Protesters have cut through a perimeter fence at Manchester Airport and chained themselves to the wheels of a plane.
Members of the group Manchester Plane Stupid demonstrated against the expansion of the World Freight Centre.
A spokesman for the airport said six people cut a hole in the fence and flights were suspended for 20 minutes following the security breach.
Police were called in to remove the protesters, who started their demonstration at about 0700 BST.
A banner reading “More air freight more climate change. Stop all airport expansion now” was unfurled at the site.
Remote area
The freight terminal, situated off junction 6 of the M56 motorway, currently handles 170,000 tonnes of inbound and outbound freight every year.
By 2015 the airport expects to increase that capacity to around 250,000 tonnes of cargo per year.
Annie McLaughlin, from Manchester Plane Stupid, said: “The airport, which is owned by local councils, has kept local residents in the dark about the proposed expansion plans, failing to adequately inform them that their homes face demolition.”
She said expanding the freight terminal would be “an environmental disaster”.
A Manchester Airport spokesman said: “At around 0710 BST protestors cut through a fence at Manchester Airport and gained access to a remote area of the airfield.
“They also staged a simultaneous protest at the airport’s freight centre. The disruption to the airport’s operations was minimal and the airport is open for business as usual.”
I thought Manchester Airport was owned by Manchester Airport plc?
As usual with these people, they will suffer no serious consequences from their actions. Even though there message is noble, the execution leaves lots to be desired.
By: Buran - 25th May 2010 at 16:16
You don’t think it would be easier for a suicide bomber to walk through the terminal doors???
The last time I took a flight , I had to go through half a dozen checks before getting near the aircraft.
We know what a suicide bomber can do to a fully fueled aircraft, look at what happened in Colombo few years ago, it was lucky those planes were not full of passengers at that time.
By: David Burke - 25th May 2010 at 15:54
You don’t think it would be easier for a suicide bomber to walk through the terminal doors???
By: Buran - 25th May 2010 at 12:44
If either one of us were to cut through a fence and approach an aircraft, it’s a certainty we’d be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Why not these “stupid” people?
Just prosecuted? these days they should have been shot, as soon as they approached an aircraft.
It could have been a suicide bomber heading towards a packed passenger plane!
By: ThreeSpool - 25th May 2010 at 12:26
Yes true but Manchester Airport PLC is owned by all the councils within Greater Manchester.
Manchester City Council – 55%
Metropolitan Borough of Bolton – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Bury – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Oldham – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale – 5%
City of Salford – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Tameside – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Trafford – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan – 5%
Thanks, I learn something new every day 🙂
By: rdc1000 - 25th May 2010 at 10:30
I wonder if they chained themselves in such a way that the wheels couldn’t turn, I’d be brewing an idea is I were that airline….:diablo:
“honest ‘gov, on my pre-flight checks they weren’t there!”
By: Bograt - 25th May 2010 at 10:22
I really don’t understand why these protesters bothered; after all, the weather in Manchester has been sh!te since 1870….:p
By: Bmused55 - 25th May 2010 at 10:05
If either one of us were to cut through a fence and approach an aircraft, it’s a certainty we’d be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Why not these “stupid” people?
By: pauldyson1uk - 25th May 2010 at 09:18
I thought Manchester Airport was owned by Manchester Airport plc?
As usual with these people, they will suffer no serious consequences from their actions. Even though there message is noble, the execution leaves lots to be desired.
Yes true but Manchester Airport PLC is owned by all the councils within Greater Manchester.
Manchester City Council – 55%
Metropolitan Borough of Bolton – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Bury – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Oldham – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale – 5%
City of Salford – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Stockport – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Tameside – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Trafford – 5%
Metropolitan Borough of Wigan – 5%
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May 25, 2010 at 9:09 am