On Saturday, dozens of climate activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) were arrested at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for demonstrating outside the designated protest area. The activists gathered to protest against KLM’s Flying Blue program, which allows travelers to accumulate points through flying and redeem them for perks such as discounts or upgrades. While XR was permitted to demonstrate at Jan Dellaertplein, in front of the departure and arrival hall, they moved to Departure Hall 2, which was not allowed.
As a result, 38 individuals were arrested and transported by bus to an undisclosed location, according to a spokesperson for the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee. XR criticizes the Flying Blue program, stating, “The science is clear: continuing to fly frequently will push global warming well beyond 2 degrees Celsius.
climate protest disrupts Schiphol Airport
Frequent flyer programs, like KLM’s Flying Blue, reward excessive flying and symbolize an industry that refuses to acknowledge climate disruption.”
KLM’s Chief Operating Officer, Maarten Stienen, acknowledged the right to protest but emphasized that breaking the rules is unacceptable. “This must stop. We expect the Public Prosecution Service to identify and take appropriate action against those causing disruption,” he said.
Stienen also highlighted that KLM is investing billions in making aviation cleaner, quieter, and more efficient in the coming years. However, XR argues that while KLM has made strides towards using Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), SAF is not CO2 neutral, is costly to produce, and not yet available in large quantities. This event marked the fifth protest by Extinction Rebellion at Schiphol Airport, drawing attention to the intersection of climate change and the aviation industry’s role in contributing to the crisis.
Image Credits: Photo by Dennis Gecaj on Unsplash
April Isaacs is a news contributor for DevX.com She is long-term, self-proclaimed nerd. She loves all things tech and computers and still has her first Dreamcast system. It is lovingly named Joni, after Joni Mitchell.
