AER LINGUS CUSTOMERS due to fly in and out of Heathrow today can expect flight delays of up to an hour after activists staged a protest on one of the airport’s runways.

A spokesperson for the airline told TheJournal.ie that services have been disrupted as a result of the demonstration, which was held in the early hours of the morning.

Photos of activists chained together on the runway were posted on social media by Plane Stupid, a direct action group campaigning against airport expansion.

“Building more runways goes against everything we’re being told by scientists and experts on climate change,” Ella Gilbert, one of the protesters, told AFP.

The activists, who cut through a fence to get onto the runway, were later removed by police.

Heathrow said in a statement that its two runways remain open, “although there will still be delays and a few cancellations.”

Aer Lingus has advised customers travelling to and out of Heathrow to still present for flights on time.

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