Getting hot under the collar at Heathrow

Posted Tuesday, August 21, 2007, 6:44 AM by Lonely Planet

London's Heathrow Airport isn't having the best of summers. Packed with Brits seeking getaways from the non-existent 'summer', the Grand Old Dame of UK airports is bursting at the seams. But while frequent travellers, harassed by long security queues and record numbers, can't wait for Terminal Five to open to relieve some pressure, crowds of a different type have been making plenty of headlines over the past couple of weeks.

Ear-bashed local residents at the Europe's biggest airport teamed up with eco-campaigners to set up a two week camp on the edge of Heathrow. The Camp for Climate Action promised "Eight days of low-impact living, debates, learning skills, and high-impact direct action tackling the root causes of climate change" as well as protests against further expansion of Heathrow. This included occupying a field near the airport as a demonstration in sustainable living and staging sit-down protests at the offices of Heathrow's owner, BAA. Protestors blockaded airfrieghted cargo warehouses and scuffled with police who prevented them taking their protests further. Generally, they made a right old nuisance of themselves.

While The Camp didn't affect passengers, it worked the UK media into a right old rumpus during the summer 'silly season' - which was arguably the protests main aim. Whether it makes anyone reconsider their flying habits remains to be seen. More than anything else, it appears to have focussed attention on the crumbling infrastructure at Europe's most important air travel gateway. And the long-term impact of passengers taking their custom elsewhere will hurt the UK travel industry more than any eco-protestors hogging the headlines.

Keep an eye on lonelyplanet.com for a more in-depth analysis of Heathrow in a few weeks time.

Tom Hall

Labels: Airports, Britain, Europe, Sustainable and responsible tourism

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