One of Germany’s main regional airports has halted all flights after climate activist protesters glued themselves to a runway.
Cologne-Bonn Airport after said “unauthorised people” gained access to the airfield on Wednesday morning, leading to all flight operations being suspended as police moved in.
A number of inbound flights have been diverted to nearby Düsseldorf, Hahn, Nuremberg and Hannover airports.
Dozens of flights leaving Cologne Airport have been subjected to delays or cancellations.
Cologne-Bonn Airport has warned of “significant disruption” and advised passengers to check their flight status before travelling.
The group, Last Generation, said five people had glued themselves to the tarmac.
It said it was blocking air traffic at the airport and published pictures of its members with his hands glued to the runway, although activists said later that three of the five had subsequently been removed by police.
Last Generation said it wanted the German government to pursue a global agreement to exit oil, gas and coal by 2030.
The group said “similar peaceful, civil protests at airports” were planned for Wednesday across Europe and North America.
In Finland, protesters were pictured blocking security gates at Helsinki Vantaa Airport.
Elsewhere, three activists broke the perimeter fence at Oslo’s main Gardermoen Airport on Wednesday morning.
According to Norwegian media, the trio were removed just over 30 minutes after they entered the airport.
Cologne-Bonn is Germany’s sixth-busiest airport – behind Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Berlin Brandenburg, Munich and Frankfurt.
In May, Munich Airport was forced to shut for two hours after six climate protesters glued themselves to a runway.
Eight people were arrested, but the disruption led to 11 flights being diverted and about 60 cancellations, an airport spokesman said.
In the aftermath, Germany’s Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, said security measures at Munich Airport “would be reviewed”.