Airline offices around Heathrow are bracing themselves for direct action by environmental campaigners after the airport’s owner, BAA, failed to win a sweeping injunction against protests.

A High Court judge rejected BAA’s application for an injunction under the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, which could have resulted in five million people becoming liable to be arrested if they travelled to Heathrow.

Mrs Justice Swift granted BAA a civil injunction against three individuals and a small group called Plane Stupid, which occupied a taxiway at East Midlands airport last year. She said a protest planned for August 14 to 21 could go ahead if it did not interfere with the running of the airport.

Alan Gill, a spokesman for Camp for Climate Action, said that about 3,000 people were expected to attend the camp. The location remains secret but Hillingdon council, which opposes the building of a third runway at the airport, has said that it might be willing to allow protesters to use its land.

Mr Gill said that there would be direct action against companies linked to the aviation industry. “We are aiming at the corporations, not at families going on holiday.”

The injunction granted yesterday covers the land inside the airport boundary and BAA buildings directly linked with the airport’s operation. BA said that it had discussed with police how to protect its headquarters and the building where crew assemble, both outside the boundary.

Mrs Justice Swift struck out BAA’s application for an injunction against Airport Watch, an umbrella organisation supported by groups such as the National Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Woodland Trust, which between them have five million members.

She also said that there was no evidence that members of the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise and the No Third Runway Action Group (NoTrag), either supported or were planning to engage in any direct action, and ordered BAA to pay the legal costs of those groups.

She said: “The order I have granted is nothing like as wide-ranging as that originally submitted by the claimants.”

Last year’s Camp for Climate Action was held in the shadow of Drax power station in North Yorkshire. Police arrested 38 people who entered the site in what was believed to have been an attempt to close down the station. The three individuals named on the injuction — John Stewart, a veteran environmental campaigner, and two students, Joss Garman and Leo Murray, who are linked to Plane Stupid — are expected to attend the camp.

Mr Garman said: “BAA came to court seeking the mother of all injunctions, but they have suffered the mother of all defeats.”

Mark Bullock, the Heathrow managing director, said: “Around 1.5 million passengers are due to pass through Heathrow during the week of climate camp. It is our responsibility to ensure that we do everything we can to guarantee their safety and comfort. Plane Stupid spokespeople have repeatedly stated that they are planning mass direct action to disrupt the operations of the airport. BAA therefore had no choice but to explore every legal avenue to minimise any disruption.”

Christine Shilling, of NoTrag, said: “BAA knew we had no intention of taking part in direct action, but they tried to include us in the injunction because they wanted to intimidate us and silence the growing opposition to a third runway.”

Melanie Edmunds, of the RSPB, said: “It was ridiculous for the airport to try to sweep up such a wide range of organisations. Aviation expansion is at odds with the Government’s claim that it wants to tackle climate change. Flying must be made to pay its way.”

A spokesman for Greenpeace said: “We hope there is a huge turnout for the protest they tried to ban.”

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