Climate activists stage protest at Zurich Airport

Dozens of climate activists staged a peaceful protest at Zurich Airport on Saturday, denouncing the negative impact of air travel on the environment. They lay on the ground briefly and then walked along the shopping area distributing flyers.

The act of protest coincided with the start of the summer holidays and was tolerated because it did not disrupt flight operations, according to airport spokesman Philipp Bircher, who was cited by Swiss news agency Keystone-SDA.

The airport had been informed of the protest plans beforehand.

According to Stefan Oberlin of the Zurich Cantonal Police, about 70 people took part in the action. It started at 2 pm sharp and lasted only a few minutes. The demonstration unfolded peacefully.

The activists want people to shun air travel by 2020, according to the website flugstreik.earth. They believe that to prevent ecological collapse, society must rethink mobility, particularly air travel, which is the most climate-damaging means of transport.

With over 100,000 passengers on the move at the start of the summer holidays, Zurich Airport was particularly crowded on Saturday.