Schiphol appeals against court ruling scrapping restraining order against activists

Schiphol has filed an appeal against the ruling that overturned 37 access bans for climate protesters. The court in Haarlem ruled last month that the access bans ranging from five to 10 years were “an unacceptable infringement on the right to demonstrate.”

On March 8, 2025, Extinction Rebellion (XR) and Scientists Rebellion protested at Schiphol Airport against KLM’s Flying Blue program, which rewards frequent flying with perks. Viewing it as a symbol of the climate crisis, activists chained themselves and blocked access to the KLM Crown Lounge to highlight the environmental impact of excessive flying.

The court ruled that Schiphol had not provided evidence that the environmental activists were a “concrete safety risk.” It was also noted that the long duration of the access bans can have a “chilling effect,” discouraging other potential demonstrators from taking action.

The court also ruled that the airport’s rules were not clear enough. The court added that the secured area where the protest took place had been subject to other protests in the past that had not been sanctioned.

In April, Schiphol took a tougher stance, imposing multi-year bans on activists who had joined a protest at the airport a few weeks earlier.

Schiphol maintains that protesting in the secured area is dangerous. “The risk goes beyond nuisance or delays. Unauthorized actions create opportunities for misuse by malicious actors,” the airport stated.

After the verdict, Extinction Rebellion announced plans for another protest at Schiphol against the Flying Blue program on October 24, 2025.