Compensation claims by climate activists — Hamburg Airport

On July 13, 2023, ten climate activists affiliated with Last Generation blocked operations at Hamburg Airport for approximately four hours during the summer holiday period. The action disrupted the operations of Lufthansa Group airlines, reportedly affecting approximately 8,500 passengers and resulting in 57 canceled flights.

Lufthansa brought a civil damages claim against the activists. On November 20, 2025, the Regional Court of Hamburg (Landgericht Hamburg) held the defendants jointly and severally liable for more than €403,000 in damages. The award comprised approximately €207,000 in passenger compensation, €190,000 in lost profits, and approximately €5,000 in additional fuel and delay-related costs. The court also awarded approximately €6,800 in pre-litigation attorneys’ fees, together with interest and costs.

The court based liability primarily on an unlawful interference with the right to an established and operating business (Recht am eingerichteten und ausgeübten Gewerbebetrieb), an “other right” protected under Section 823(1) of the German Civil Code (BGB). The court found that the airport blockade specifically interfered with the organization and operation of the airlines’ businesses. In determining unlawfulness, the court conducted a balancing of interests, recognizing that the activists’ objective—climate protection—was legitimate and, according to the court, essential for the continued existence of human society in its present form. Nevertheless, it concluded that the chosen means were disproportionate because the blockade excessively interfered with the airlines’ lawful business operations and deliberately crossed criminal-law boundaries.

The court further issued an injunction prohibiting the defendants from engaging in further disruptions of flight operations, subject to statutory enforcement measures. The judgment is not yet final. The total amount in dispute was set at €1.1 million, with the damages claim itself valued at €700,000.