Airports as spaces of dissent and protest: A spatial and historical analysis

Global air transport is a complex and powerful industry that contributes to economic development and international connectivity. As key infrastructure for the transport of goods and people, airports are generally considered off-limits for political dissent. By tracking protest events over the last decades, a typology of political uses of "the airport" as a space for democratic participation has been proposed, identifying its value as a site for a wide variety of protests, comprising those related to working conditions, anti-deportation, animal rights and environmental protection. In the context of the climate crisis, airports, airline companies and private jets have been under increasing criticism due to both their regional impacts (mainly aircraft noise) and the GHG emissions resulting from global air transport. Activism against new airport projects and airport expansions has become a major component of the climate movement in Europe, with 140 protest events at airports being documented and examined between 2019 and 2024. These protest events are characterized by their non-violent stance, although social movements and campaign groups have also relied on acts of civil and democratic disobedience, forms of radical politics and direct action. These protests disrupt diverse spaces of the airport, ranging from those outside the airports to more controversial acts that take place in restricted airside areas. Social movements and campaign groups appropriate spaces at the airports to increase their chances of capturing the attention of the local and global media, governmental authorities and air transport stakeholders. These protest events are subsequently shared on their own websites and social media, as a strategic form of digital activism. Activists campaigning for the protection of the planet and their local communities have also networked at the European and global levels, advocating for climate justice and a fair transition and calling into question solutions based on technological development.