Leeds Bradford, Luton and Newcastle airports have banned protests

High Court injunctions have been issued banning environmental activists from protesting at their sites at three UK airports.

Leeds Bradford Airport, London Luton Airport and Newcastle International Airport were given orders banning protesters from trespassing or causing a nuisance.

The lawyer representing the airports said activists from organizations such as Just Stop Oil (JSO) and Extinction Rebellion (ER) posed a serious threat to passengers and there was a “real and imminent risk of disruption”.

It follows Heathrow Airport being granted a similar injunction last week.

The banning orders will last for five years and will be reviewed every 12 months.

Timothy Morshead KC, who represents the airports, said the sites were “more vulnerable” because of the added security measures around operations.

The court heard that another problem was the threat that protesters could walk onto the track because of their smaller facilities.

Unlike airports such as Heathrow, passengers sometimes exited the terminal to board, adding to the risk of a protest near a plane.

Mr Morshead added that Leeds Bradford Airport provided a space for protesters to gather.

However, groups have not used it so far.

The court was also told that JSO had threatened disruption.

Granting the injunctions, Mr Justice Ritchie said “JSO’s and ER’s threats have been put into practice”.

“JSO and ER have carried out their threats and at enormous cost to the taxpayer and private financial expense, as well as disruptions to oil terminals, roads, sporting events and their threats potentially to airports,” he added.

Following the decision, a spokesman for Leeds Bradford Airport said: “This order protects our passengers, staff and business partners and reduces the risk of disruption to passengers looking forward to their holiday.”

“We wholeheartedly support the decarbonisation of aviation and recognize that the right to protest is a fundamental and important human right.

“However, disrupting people’s travel plans and causing potentially fatal safety risks with irresponsible actions is not the way to ensure the transition to net zero.”