According to media reports, the Lufthansa group is demanding compensation of 740,000 euros from the activist group Last Generation. The background is actions by the group that paralyzed the airports in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Berlin for several hours. Lufthansa had already announced in October of last year that it would be pursuing compensation claims through its subsidiary, Eurowings. The total amount of compensation demanded is therefore 740,000 euros.
"Eurowings will claim material damages for the airlines of the Lufthansa Group, which arose from the actions of activists at the airports in Berlin, Düsseldorf, and Hamburg," said the statement in October. The company did not provide specific details about the amount of the claims at that time. The airline also declined to comment on the newspaper report this weekend.
According to reports, protests at Hamburg Airport on July 13 affected 57 flights of the Lufthansa Group (LH, Eurowings, Swiss), which accounted for 8,500 passengers. The resulting damage is estimated at 400,000 euros. On the same day, at Düsseldorf Airport, 24 flights and 3,000 passengers were affected by the protest, which corresponds to a damage of 220,000 euros, according to the newspaper. In November 2022, protests also took place at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, where, according to the airline, 35 flights and 5,000 passengers were affected.
Six alleged members of the activist group have already received payment requests amounting to €120,000. They are to be held liable for the damages caused by the protest actions. Through their actions, the activists wanted to draw attention to the negative impact of air travel on the climate. Members of the group were arrested in all three actions after they glued themselves to the airport runways. The police have initiated investigations against the individuals who are potentially eligible for compensation claims.
Minister of Transport Volker Wissing (FDP) announced plans to tighten the aviation security law. Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) also supports this step. Wissing stated to "Bild am Sonntag": "Blockades of airports with the aim of disrupting operations there far exceed the limits of legitimate protest. These are not trivial offenses either." Therefore, an increase in penalties should occur as soon as possible.
