Climate Activists Plan Drone Protest to Halt Heathrow Expansion

(Bloomberg) -- Climate activists plan to fly toy drones near London’s Heathrow airport next month, as they seek to draw attention to a planned expansion and its impact on greenhouse gases.

The group, Heathrow Pause, will fly the drones inside an exclusion zone surrounding Europe’s busiest airport starting Sept. 13, it said in a statement on its website. Drones are banned within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of airports in the U.K.

In May, Heathrow overcame an attempt by environmental groups to block construction of the third runway that it says it needs to boost flights and compete with rival hubs. In April, Extinction Rebellion activists blocked large swaths of London, including Parliament Square and junctions at Marble Arch and Oxford Circus.

Heathrow Pause argues that Heathrow’s expansion is incompatible with the government’s existing commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050.

The group said it would meet with the police and airport authorities in London on Friday to discuss their plan. It said it will give the airport an hour’s notice before each drone flight, will keep the flights at a height of 6 feet, won’t fly the craft in the airport’s flight path.

To contact the reporter on this story: Siddharth Philip in London at sphilip3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anthony Palazzo at apalazzo@bloomberg.net

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