Airport Security, Immigration & Border Control

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Climate change protest disrupts flights at Aberdeen airportNine members of campaign group Plane Stupid cut through perimeter fence

Plane Stupid climate protesters break through the perimeter fence at Aberdeen airport before setting up a barricade on an aircraft taxiway. Photograph: Plane Stupid/PA

Flights at one of Scotland's busiest airports were disrupted today when climate change protesters dressed as Donald Trump played golf on a taxiway.

Nine demonstrators from the Plane Stupid campaign group cut through Aberdeen airport's perimeter fence at around 2.15am in protest at BAA's plans to expand the airport.

Seven protesters who had put up a "wire fortress" on a taxiway for North Sea helicopters handed themselves over to Grampian police at about 8.20am. Two others on the terminal roof surrendered to police at about 9.30am.

Plane Stupid said the protesters were dressed as golfers in imitation of the New York property tycoon, who is building a major £1bn golfing resort north of Aberdeen and supports the airport's growth.

Wearing wigs and golfing visors, the demonstrators staged a mock game of golf with plastic clubs and balls.

The protesters on the roof unveiled a banner stating: "Nae Trump Games with Climate Change".

The protest was timed to prevent commercial flights from beginning at 5am and led to delays of at least three hours to all early morning services, including flights to Heathrow, Paris and Amsterdam.

Four incoming flights – from Paris Charles de Gaulle, Bristol, East Midlands and Humberside – were cancelled before scheduled flights resumed shortly after 9am.

Incoming flights from Wick, Durham Tees Valley and Newcastle were also delayed, while a flight to Sumburgh, in Shetland, was cancelled.

The protest also disrupted routine North Sea oil industry helicopter flights from what is one of Europe's busiest heliports.

Some services were able to resume at 8am after BAA shifted takeoffs to another area of the airport, but the disruption has continued.

"It has been a bit stop-start," a spokeswoman for Bristows, one of the main North Sea operators, said.

Plane Stupid said the protests, the first to disrupt commercial flights at a Scottish airport, were designed to highlight the escalating impact of aviation on the climate and protest against the UK-wide expansion of airports.

Aberdeen has been given permission to increase passenger numbers by 1.5m by 2015, the group said.

The airport is a major business hub, particularly for the oil and tourism industries, but it also provides lifeline services to Orkney and Shetland and some emergency air services.

The group quoted one of its members on the roof, Jonny Agnew, a 22-year-old from Edinburgh, as saying: "We have been failed by the generation of Donald Trump and Alex Salmond.

"Despite a catalogue of scientific reports warning them that they can't keep on with aviation growth, they continue with disregard for all of us who will end up dealing with the impacts of the climate crisis.

"The reality is that our generation's future is vanishing so that people like Donald Trump and his super-rich friends can jet into Aberdeen for a round of golf."

A BAA spokesman condemned the protest as "dangerous and highly irresponsible", adding: "Aberdeen is one of Europe's busiest commercial heliports and a major transport centre for the north of Scotland, used by tens of thousands of people every day.

"There is no justification for this irresponsible action, which is deliberately calculated to delay and inconvenience the travelling public.

"Passengers are being advised that the airport is not closed, and are asked to contact their airlines directly for more information about flight schedules."

A Grampian police spokesman said the protesters on the taxiway voluntarily gave themselves up after talks with police.

Last December, Plane Stupid activists disrupted Stansted airport, in Essex, occupying part of the runway and forcing the cancellation of dozens of flights. Police made 38 arrests.

In January last year, more than 20 protesters targeted the offices of private aviation firm Greer Aviation at Edinburgh airport, unveiling a banner that read: "This planet has no emergency exits."

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Bloody idiots these plain stupid people are!

 

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Paisley activist in court over airport protest

A PAISLEY man has appeared in court in connection with a high-profile protest which caused major disruption at a busy airport.

James Kerr, 34, who lives in the town’s west end, was arrested following a disturbance at Aberdeen Airport on Tuesday.

It is claimed Kerr and eight others were involved in a protest.

All nine have been charged with breach of the peace and vandalism and made no plea or declaration when they appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

They were committed for further examination and released on bail.

It is expected they will go on trial later this year.

The airport was shut down for two-and-a-half hours on Tuesday morning. Out of 350 flights scheduled for the day, 10 were disrupted.

Flights to Heathrow, Paris and Amsterdam were among those delayed by the protest.

The others who appeared in court alongside Kerr were Daniel Glass, 25, Jonathan Agnew, 22, Katherine Mackay, 20, Emilia Kawowska, 19, Matilda Gifford, 24, Josephine Hanson, 25, all of Glasgow, Mark Andrews, 25, of Edinburgh, and William Boggia, 43, of Aberdeen.

Kerr is a well-known community activist in the west end of Paisley.

Earlier this year, he quit his post with the Paisley West and Central Community Council.

Kerr was a key player in getting the organisation up and running and had hoped to do his bit to boost facilities, increase community spirit and give Buddies a platform to voice their opinions.

But he resigned as secretary of the group after just six months in the post, claiming that Renfrewshire Council were “interfering” and some of the other community councillors were “very negative”.

He added: “I was asked to stop sending e-mails to other community councils.

“I was also told to stop speaking directly to the local press without clearing it with the committee first.

“That made it impossible for me to do my job because there was no way I could have every e-mail and communication checked.

“Some things are urgent and need to be done quickly.”

In November last year, Kerr slept rough outside the council’s Paisley headquarters to raise awareness of homelessness.

And Kerr also started an online petition – dubbed ‘Stop Tesco Owning Paisley’ – after the supermarket giant revealed plans to build a 130,000-sq ft, 24-hour Tesco Extra store at Wallneuk Industrial Estate, in Renfrew Road, Paisley.

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£4000 fine for Aberdeen Airport weapons man

A man has been fined £4000 after he was caught with four illegal firearms in his luggage at Aberdeen Airport. James McNab, 36, appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court yesterday.

Mr McNab, of 12 Rowan Place, Fraserburgh, admitted trying to bring four Jinan stun guns, which are illegal in the UK, into the country via the airport on July 13, 2007. The court heard that he had bought the weapons while he was living in Thailand before flying to Aberdeen via Amsterdam.

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Oil worker fined for Aberdeen Airport police abuse

An oil worker was fined £400 yesterday for breach of the peace after shouting and swearing at police officers at Aberdeen Airport, the Press & Journal reports. Michael Roache, 41, appeared at the city’s sheriff court where he pleaded guilty the charge relating to an incident in the terminal building at Dyce in December 2008.

Fiscal depute Celia Dyckhoff told the court that Mr Roache, of 40 Moir Drive, Aberdeen, had initially been ‘jovial’ with the airport police officers on duty at the terminal. However, after withdrawing money he became abusive, and continued shouting and swearing even after he was taken outside to wait for his taxi.

Defence agent Neil McRobert said his client had arrived at the airport having returned from working offshore and had been drinking. The solicitor said his client accepted that his behaviour had been inappropriate.

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[textarea]Man tries to board Aberdeen bound flight with loaded gun

A German man tried to board a plane at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport bound for Aberdeen with a loaded gun in his hand luggage, a Dutch police spokesman said, calling the act ‘stupid.’

Airport security staff discovered the gun during hand luggage checks and arrested the man. Police said he gave various explanations about why he had a gun with him, had no license for the weapon, and said the gun was most likely stolen.

The German was released from custody, as the judge ruled there were no signs was planning to use the weapon. He faces charges for illegal weapon possession. A police spokesman said it is very rare for passengers to try to board a plane with a loaded gun. He said: ‘This is very stupid, to say the least.'

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What a fool. Can you imagine packing your hand luggage like this..... Got the sun glasses, got the sun cream, got my book to read, got my AK47, I mean really? How stupid are people?

 

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[textarea]Animal rights activist cleared over Aberdeen Airport letter

An animal rights activist has been cleared of causing fear and alarm by sending a suspicious package to the managing director of Aberdeen Airport.

Andrew Kirk, 50, of Inverness, was charged with breach of the peace over the letter about animal transport for vivisection last year. However, he was acquitted yesterday after trial at Aberdeen Sheriff Court.

Mr Kirk was jailed in 2006 for sending malicious mail, including a swastika, to an animal-testing facility.

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[textarea]Nine in court over March Aberdeen Airport incident

Nine people who forced Aberdeen Airport to close down during a protest earlier this year have appeared in court. The five men and four women were detained following an incident at the airport in March.

The nine, members of the environmental campaign group Plane Stupid, are alleged to have destroyed property and put the public in a state of fear and alarm. They denied the charges when they appeared at Aberdeen Sheriff Court, and are due to appear for trial next year.

The accused are Daniel Glass, 25, Jonathon Agnew, 22, Emilia Kawowska, 19, Matilda Gifford, 24, and Josephine Hanson, 25, all from Glasgow, Mark Andrews, 25, of Edinburgh, James Kerr, 34, of Paisley, William Boggia, 43, of Ballater, and Katherine McKay, 20, of Shipley.

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[textarea]Passenger escorted off flight after security alert

A man was taken off a plane at Aberdeen Airport amid security concerns last night after staff raised suspicions about him. The easyJet flight to Luton, which was due to take off at 20:25, was delayed for more than an hour after passengers had already boarded the plane.

Suspicions about the man were raised by airport staff, who called in police for help. Air hostesses escorted the man off the aircraft to waiting Police officers and a search was carried out in the area where he was sitting.

The man did not fly last night as police checks took longer than expected, but he was released by officers who did not find anything untoward, and he is expected to travel this morning.

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[textarea]‘Bored’ man made Aberdeen Airport bomb threat

A disabled man called Aberdeen Airport and told staff they had three minutes to evacuate because a bomb was about to explode because he was 'bored', the Evening Express reports.

James Shanks told Aberdeen Sheriff Court he was bored when he called the Wetherspoon pub at the airport from his Glasgow home. The 59-year-old wheelchair-user, whose address was given as 28 Hayburn Street, Glasgow, was admonished by Sheriff Annella Cowan.

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