Extinction Rebellion blockades Luton Airport private jet terminals in Valentine’s Day protest
Extinction Rebellion and affiliated groups blockaded the entrances to Luton Airport’s Harrods Aviation and Signature private jet terminals. The protest is part of the “Make Them Pay” campaign, by Scientist Rebellion, Extinction Rebellion (XR), and Stay Grounded, which has 3 demands: ban private jets, tax frequent flyers and make polluters pay – due to their high carbon emissions. The protest was a component of a global co-ordinated action launched last week by climate activists across 11 countries, which is targeting multiple sites in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the US. About 30,000 private jets land or take off from Luton airport each year, with celebrities, actors and the very rich using them. It is only a tiny % of the population that uses private jets, which are a very, very high carbon way to travel. A passenger in a private jet might cause the emission of x10 as much CO2 as a passenger in a commercial plane, for the same distance. Though passengers private jets pay a bit more Air Passenger Duty than on commercial planes, the rate of tax on private jets is, relatively far too low.
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Extinction Rebellion blockades Luton Airport private jet terminals in Valentine’s Day protest
February 14, 2023
by Extinction Rebellion
This morning, Extinction Rebellion and affiliated groups have blockaded the entrances to Luton Airport’s Harrods Aviation and Signature private jet terminals to demand the government take urgent action to ban private jets, tax frequent flyers and make wealthy polluters pay.
The protest is part of a global co-ordinated action launched last week by climate activists across 11 countries, which is targeting multiple sites in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the US.
Groups chose to take action today due to the rise in the use of private jet flights for supposedly romantic Valentine’s Day dates, and to invite anyone watching to go to Parliament from April 21st to be part of 100,000 people calling for a citizen-led transition away from fossil fuels.[1]
“Valentine’s Day should not have to cost the Earth, or the taxpayer,” says former airline pilot-turned climate activist, Todd Smith. “The people want a ban on private jets, as Climate Assembly UK demonstrated in 2020. [2] But nothing has been done. I can only assume the government has ignored the will of the people to protect the interests of their rich mates. We are here today to make them listen.”
Extinction Rebellion’s iconic blue boat Polly Higgins is blocking all three gates to Luton Airport’s Signature Terminal with protestors locked on to the deck and hull of the boat.
Another group of protestors is barricading the entrance to the Harrods Aviation Terminal, with activists locked onto two oil barrels.
More activists are gathered at both terminals dressed in hi-vis jackets, holding flags and banners in the style of airport signs, and wearing pink vests reading “LOVE IN ACTION”.
Today’s protest is part of the ongoing “Make Them Pay” campaign by Scientist Rebellion, Extinction Rebellion (XR), and Stay Grounded which has three key demands: ban private jets, tax frequent flyers and make polluters pay. [3]
Nigel Harvey, 60, a recycling company chief executive and XR activist from St Albans, added: “Extinction Rebellion and other climate activist groups are often criticised for disrupting the lives of ‘normal working people’ – well it should be clear that owning a private jet isn’t normal. This is a targeted action – we’re disrupting only the top 1%: the highest-income, highest emitters who are most responsible for pollution and have the most power to affect changes.”
1% of the global population produces over a half of total aviation emissions [4], while 80% of the global population have never actually stepped foot onboard an aircraft [5]. Private jets are around 10 times more energy-intensive per passenger than commercial planes and 50 times more energy-intensive than trains. A four-hour flight in a private jet emits as much as the average person does in an entire year. Yet private jet use remains subsidised and largely untaxed [6].
Sarah Hart, 41, mum of two from Farnborough said: “The fact that our government turns a blind eye on these polluters is just further evidence of its failure to act on the climate & ecological emergency. We are calling for everyone to join us from 21 April outside the Houses of Parliament to make our voices heard and demand action on the climate & ecological crisis NOW.”
Last year the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group representing the most climate-vulnerable countries at COP27, proposed a global aviation tax to pay for a climate ‘loss & damage’ fund for their countries [7] and cancel debt in the countries most affected by climate change so that they can afford to transition to low-carbon economies [8].
Finlay Asher, 32, an aerospace engineer from Bristol and co-founder of Safe Landing [9] said: “I’m an aviation worker – but feel that I can’t stand-by watching the emissions from my industry continue to grow and contribute so heavily to the climate carnage wreaking havoc around the world.
These impacts are mostly felt by the poorest communities, so it’s sickening to also realise that an elite minority of super-rich mega polluters are responsible for the majority of global emissions from air travel.”
— Ends —
Notes for Editors
REFERENCES
[1] The Big One https://extinctionrebellion.uk/the-big-one/
[2] Multiple citizens’ assemblies have produced such recommendations for the aviation sector, including:
Climate Assembly UK recommendations:
“Ban polluting private jets and helicopters, moving to electric technology as it becomes available”
“80% of assembly members ‘strongly agreed’ or ‘agreed’ that taxes that increase as people fly more often and as they fly further should be part of how the UK gets to net zero. Assembly members saw these taxes as fairer than alternative policy options.
Scotland’s Climate Assembly recommendations:
“Eliminate frequent flyer and air mile bonuses to reduce the number of flights taken for business, encouraging the use of alternatives like video conferencing for meetings.” – 92% agree
“Discourage air travel by introducing a frequent flyer tax or levy.” – 78% agree
https://involve.org.uk/sites/default/files/field/attachemnt/Scotland%27s%20Climate%20Assembly%20Recommendations%20for%20Action.WebVersion%20%282%29%20%282%29.pdf
French Citizens’ Convention on Climate:
Limiting the adverse effects of air travel: “Adopt an enhanced eco-contribution per kilometre”, “Increasing fuel taxes for recreational aviation”, and “Promoting the idea of a European eco-contribution” – 88.1% agree.
https://democracy-international.org/final-propositions-french-citizens-convention-climate
[3] “Make Them Pay” campaign website: https://makethempay.info/
[4] https://www.transportenvironment.org/challenges/planes/price-of-flying/
[4] The global scale, distribution and growth of aviation: Implications for climate change https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959378020307779
[6] “Despite the disproportionate climate impact, private jets are untaxed in most European nations because of exemptions from the EU’s carbon pricing scheme (EU ETS) and untaxed kerosene.” https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/rising-use-of-private-jets-sends-co2-emissions-soaring/
[7] ‘Loss & damage’ fund could raise more than $100 billion a year: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/sep/19/vulnerable-countries-demand-global-tax-to-pay-for-climate-led-loss-and-damage
[8] Cancel debt in the countries most affected by climate change: https://debtforclimate.org/
[9] Safe Landing: https://safe-landing.org/
Explanation of Frequent Flyer Levy policy: https://afreeride.org/
Extinction Rebellion protesters block Luton airport private jet terminals
Activists say they are targeting ‘the top 1%’ amid claims that luxury flights are used by the wealthy for Valentine’s Day dates
By Kieran Gair (The Times)
Tuesday February 14 2023
Activists blocked access to all the Signature terminal’s three gates in Percival Way and locked themselves to the deck and hull of a makeshift blue boat called the Polly Higgins.
Other protesters barricaded the entrance to the Harrods aviation terminal in President Way, with activists locked onto two oil barrels.
Climate activists blocked the entrances to Luton airport’s private jet terminals as part of a wave of global action against private aviation timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day.
About 30,000 private jets land or take off from the airport each year, with Brad Pitt and Taylor Swift among the dozens of superstars who have used the service. Roughly a quarter of the flights are in the UK.
The demonstration marks the return of Extinction Rebellion (XR) to public disruption as a protest tool after it announced last month that it would “temporarily shift away from” the tactic because “very little has changed”.
The protests at Luton are part of a global campaign that began last week
XR said it took action because there had been a rise in the use of private jet flights for “supposedly romantic Valentine’s Day dates”, and to encourage others to join a campaign to move away from fossil fuels.
Activists gathered at both terminals wearing hi-visibility jackets, holding flags and banners in the style of airport signs and wearing pink vests reading “Love in action”. Todd Smith, an airline pilot turned climate activist, said: “Valentine’s Day should not have to cost the Earth or the taxpayer.”
The protest is part of a global campaign launched last week by climate activists in 11 countries, which is targeting sites in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and the US.
Images showed police turning away private hire cars from the entrance to the Harrods terminal. Some passengers set to depart on private jets were forced to leave vehicles and enter the terminal on foot, XR said. However police and airport officials said passengers and flight schedules were not affected by the disruption. Passengers are able to access the private terminals from other gates.
Nigel Harvey, 60, a recycling company chief executive and XR activist from St Albans, Hertfordshire, added: “Extinction Rebellion and other climate activist groups are often criticised for disrupting the lives of ‘normal working people’ — well it should be clear that owning a private jet isn’t normal. This is a targeted action — we’re disrupting only the top 1%: the highest-income, highest emitters who are most responsible for pollution and have the most power to affect changes.”
The protest is part of the “Make Them Pay” campaign, which has three demands: ban private jets, tax frequent flyers and make polluters pay.
John Murphy, chief superintendent Bedfordshire Police, said: “We are aware of a small protest taking place at London Luton Airport today, and we are working with the airport and partners to ensure a proportionate response. A small number of officers from the airport are at the scene, and there is currently no disruption to passengers or flights at the airport.”
The airport said: “We would like to reassure passengers that a peaceful protest taking place away from the main terminal is not causing any disruption. Flights and access to the airport remain unaffected.”
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