More than half of UK airports have introduced or increased their drop-off fees in the past year, RAC research has found.
Eleven out of 20 major airports analysed were found to have increased their so-called “kiss and fly” charges. These are fees drivers have to pay when dropping off a passenger as close to the terminal as possible.
Nine airports – Belfast City, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow, Liverpool John Lennon, Newcastle and Southampton – have raised their fees by £1.
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Leeds Bradford and Glasgow both added 50p to their charges.
Cardiff, which previously had no charge, introduced a £3 fee, while Luton now charges £5.
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Here’s a breakdown of what you have to pay to drop someone off at each airport:
The RAC found there is no fee for dropping off at eight of the 10 busiest EU airports, such as Paris Charles de Gaulle, and airports in Frankfurt and Madrid.
London City is now the only top 20 UK airport that still offers drivers a free drop-off close to the terminal.
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RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said this makes increases in fees at UK airports “all the more depressing”.
“The sky really does seem to be the limit when it comes to the amount drivers get charged for making the briefest of stops to let friends or loved ones out to catch a flight,” he said.
“The seemingly annual ritual of many airports hiking the cost of drop-offs is unfortunately continuing unabated.
“Airports understandably need to manage the often-limited on-site space they have. We also know some still offer short stay free parking, but the problem is it’s often well away from the terminal.
“If a driver wants to help a passenger with mobility issues or a lot of bags get to the terminal, they’ll often end up overstaying the ‘free’ period offered and getting charged.
“The main reason drivers drop off at airports, according to our research, is to help people with bulky and often heavy luggage. This is understandable when the alternative to the car is often either a conventional bus, which can be impractical with lots of cases, or a costly taxi – with fares for the latter subject to the same drop-off fees that drivers need to pay.”
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Karen Dee, chief executive of Airports UK, the industry body representing British airports, said: “All airports offer a free drop-off facility. They also have a wide variety of options to suit all passengers’ needs, including premium drop-off in front of the terminal building for those who wish to use that.
“Where fees are charged, this helps airports manage and reduce congestion, noise, carbon emissions and air pollution for local communities, something that they are mandated to do by the government and local authorities.
“These charges are a part of the airport business model and help enable the provision of the widest variety of flights from the airport.”
