Drivers warned of increasing airport ‘drop-off’ charges

Drop-off charges at some UK airports have increased year-on-year, with drivers describing them as a rip-off.

London Stansted remains the most expensive airport to ‘kiss and fly’ at £7, while Manchester charges the most per minute, according to analysis by the RAC.

shows that seven of the top 20 airports by passenger numbers have further increased their prices for drop-off parking since last summer.

Four major airports have increased drop-off charges by £1 compared to 2023 – London Gatwick (£6 for 10 minutes), Edinburgh (£5 for 10 minutes), Birmingham (£5 for 15 minutes) and Bristol (£6 for 10 minutes), with three – Glasgow, Leeds Bradford and Aberdeen – putting prices up by 50p since last year.

Nine airports have frozen their prices this year, while just three airports out of the top 20 in the UK – London City, Cardiff and Inverness – retain free drop-off zones.

Dropping off for up to 20 minutes at London Luton is currently free in its mid-stay car park – after last October’s fire forced the closure of the airport’s drop-off zone. Last year, Luton charged £5 for 10 minutes in its drop-off zone.

Despite not increasing its charges this year, to the relief of drivers, London Stansted remains the most expensive UK airport for dropping off, charging £7 for up to 15 minutes, the equivalent of 47p a minute.

Leeds Bradford is a close second charging £6.50 for 10 minutes, with London Gatwick and Bristol the third most expensive, both demanding drivers pay £6 for up to 10 minutes. Glasgow and Aberdeen both charge £5.50 for 15 minutes.

RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “It’s depressing, if perhaps unsurprising given what’s happened in the past, to see seven airports have hiked their drop-off charges once again this year.

“To have to pay £5, £6 or even £7 for the briefest of stops to simply open the boot and take some luggage out for a friend or loved one is bordering on the ridiculous.”

On a cost-per-minute basis, Manchester offers drivers the worst value, charging £5 for just a five-minute stay – the equivalent of £1 a minute, ahead of the next priciest per minute, Leeds Bradford, which charges the equivalent of 65p per minute (£6.50 for 10 minutes).

Four out of five drivers (81%) surveyed by the RAC this summer, who have either dropped someone off at an airport or have been dropped off themselves in the past 12 months, described the charges as a ‘rip-off’.

Dennis said: “Increased charges at airports that have relatively poor public transport access – for instance, no direct rail or tram link – also seems pretty unreasonable.

“Some airports say the reason they charge for drop-offs at all is to discourage people from driving in the first place, but if the alternatives are non-existent, expensive or unreliable then what choice do people really have?

“Our research also clearly shows that a major reason for driving and dropping off is the practical challenges of travelling with heavy and bulky luggage, especially if you have elderly or very young people in tow.”

Those visiting London Heathrow or Gatwick should be aware that it is now not possible to pay the drop-off charge in-person at either airport.

Instead, drivers need to pay online using the official airport website or by phone.

“It’s also worth remembering that many airports offer free or cheaper short-term parking further away from the terminal,” added Dennis. “This might be significantly less convenient, but it does save money.”