In an unusual protest, a 43-year-old Paralympic medallist climbed on top of a British Airways plane at the London City Airport as part of ongoing climate change sit-ins.
James Brown, who is visually impaired, filmed himself clinging to the fuselage on Thursday as he streamed a live message online.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick described the action by the cyclist who won a bronze medal at the London 2012 Games as "reckless, stupid and dangerous". About 50 arrests were made at the airport.
Another man refused to sit in his seat, delaying a flight by nearly two hours, the BBC reported.
Both men had bought flight tickets and passed through airport security.
On the fourth day of climate change protests by Extinction Rebellion, disruption in the UK centred on London City Airport.
Police arrested people blocking the airport entrance as others glued themselves to the floor.
Activists had been attempting a three-day "Hong Kong-style occupation" of London City Airport's terminal building to highlight what they claim is the "incompatibility" of the east London airport's planned 2 billion-pound expansion meeting the government's legally-binding commitment to go net carbon neutral by 2050.
Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair said flights ran largely on time or with slight delays, although two flights were cancelled.
Brown, from Northern Ireland, filmed himself sitting on top of an Amsterdam-bound plane which had been due to take off. He was booked on to the flight.
In a live stream posted on Facebook, he said it was "scary" because he hated heights, felt cold and hoped they would get him down soon.
"Oh man I'm shaking," he said. "This is all about the climate and ecological crisis. We're protesting at government inaction on climate and ecological breakdown. They declare climate emergency and do nothing about it."
After more than an hour on the roof, Brown was brought down and led away by police.
Met Commissioner Dame Cressida said: "My early understanding is somebody has been arrested after they presumably bought a ticket, went through security perfectly normally, went up the steps of a plane and hurled themselves on top of a plane.
"Actually, that was a reckless, stupid and dangerous thing to do for all concerned.
The BBC also reported that a "smartly dressed man" on a Dublin-bound flight stood up and walked down the aisle, delivering a lecture on climate change.
The cabin crew "calmly and very politely" asked the protester to retake his seat and, when he declined, they alerted the pilot.
The plane then taxied back to the gate, where police escorted the protester off the plane, the report said.
Police said more than 1,000 people have been arrested since Monday, including about 50 at the airport on Thursday. Twenty-nine people have been charged with various offences, police said.
Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content
