Twenty-four activists from aviation campaign group Plane Stupid were arrested on 24 September after occupying an operational taxiway at Nottingham's East Midlands airport.
Calling airports “carbon factories”, a Baptist minister lead the airport shutdown protest against climate change. In a press release, the group made clear that safety was paramount during the action - hence a taxi-way rather than runway occupation - and said that the police had been immediately notified that this was a peaceful protest by environmental campaigners.
Plane Stupid is believed to be Britain's first direct action campaign group solely dedicated to tackling airport expansion, calling for higher taxes on aviation fuel and for an end to short-haul flights. The group says it is planning a national day of action against short haul flights on 6 November during the UN International Climate talks in Nairobi.