Ryanair had to cancel 56 flights in and out of Stansted airport today after 50 climate change activists broke into a secure area of the aiport and occupied a runway.
The cancelled services including flights to Dublin, Prestwick, Frankfurt Hahn, Genoa, Oslo and Berlin. Flights have now resumed at the airport but there are severe delays on all routes.
Fifty-seven people have been arrested.
The protest began at 3.15am when more than 50 campaigners occupied a runway that had been closed for maintenance work, according to Plane Stupid, which organised the demonstration.
The protest was over the government's decision to allow the expansion of Stansted Airport with a second runway.
Plane Stupid said aviation was the fastest growing source of emissions and already contributed to at least 13 per cent of the UK's carbon budget.
In a statement this morning, Ryanair said it was calling for an investigation "as to why the BAA Stansted security has once again failed to keep Stansted secure and open to the travelling public".
"It is unacceptable that the travel plans of thousands of passengers have been disrupted because BAA Stansted security have failed to remove a number of protesters."
PA