The airport saw drop off costs rise by more than 40 per cent last month
One of Scotland’s airports has the second priciest drop-off charges in the UK after a recent price hike came into force. Costs at the hub for dropping passengers off were recently hiked by more than 40 per cent.
Fees at Edinburgh Airport were increased from £6 to £8.50 on May 18 making it the most expensive drop off charges in the country. And it is now just behind the prices to drop off at two major London hubs, according to new research.
Bosses at the Capital airport said the price hike reflects an £8m rise in business rates reported at the travel facility.
New analysis from Good Business Travel found that Edinburgh is the second most costly city for airport drop-off charge in the UK after the new fees were implemented with London airports taking the top spot at £10 for 10 minutes.
To find out where drivers are paying the most for a quick goodbye at the airport, Good Business Travel analysed drop-off fees across the UK’s 20 busiest airports, comparing the cost of using designated terminal express drop-off zones and the maximum time allowed before additional charges apply.
Their analysis found that London Gatwick Airport and London Stansted Airport top the list as the UK’s most expensive airports for passenger drop-offs, both charging £10 to access designated terminal zones.
But while Stansted allows drivers 15 minutes for their money, Gatwick only gives you just 10, meaning travellers are effectively paying £1 per minute just to get their suitcases out and say their goodbyes.
Bristol and Edinburgh Airport are joint second for most expensive, charging £8.50 for 10 minutes.
Other Scottish airports on the list include Aberdeen Airport and Glasgow Airport which both charge £7 for 15 minutes in drop off fees.
At the opposite end of the scale, Cardiff Airport offers one of the UK’s lowest drop-off charges at £3 for 10 minutes, while Belfast City Airport (£4) and Manchester Airport (£5) also come in below the national average.
The UK’s most expensive airport drop-off fees
- London Gatwick – £10 for 10 minutes
- London Stansted £10 for 15 minutes
- Edinburgh Airport £8.50 for 10 minutes
- Bristol Airport £8.50 for 10 minutes
- Leeds, Bradford £8 for 10 minutes
- London City £8 for 5 minutes
- Southampton £7 for 20 minutes
- Aberdeen Airport £7 for 15 minutes
- Birmingham £7 for 15 minutes
- Glasgow Airport £7 for 15 minutes
- London Heathrow £7 for 10 minutes
- London Luton £7 for 10 minutes
- Bournemouth £6 for 30 minutes
- Liverpool Airport £6 for 10 minutes
- Newcastle Airport £6 for 10 minutes
- Manchester Airport £5 for 5 minutes
- Belfast International £5 for 10 minutes
- East Midlands £5 for 10 minutes
- Belfast City £4 for 10 minutes
- Cardiff Airport £3 for 10 minutes
The study comes as Brits continue to struggling with rising travel costs as recent reports suggest some air fares have jumped by 24% in the last year.
Natasha Inglis, Implementation and Client Success Director at Good Business Travel said: “For lots of travellers, it’s not just the flight itself that feels more expensive anymore, but it’s every little extra around the journey. Between baggage fees, airport food, parking and now premium drop-off charges, the cost of simply getting to departures can quickly add up.
“That £5 or £10 drop-off fee might seem small in isolation, but when people are already spending more on travel overall, it can feel like yet another charge added to the holiday budget. For families travelling during peak season or businesses managing travel budgets for employees, it all adds up.”
For those looking to keep costs down, Natasha encourages travellers to check airport drop-off policies in advance or research alternative drop-off destinations to avoid an unexpected expense before the journey has even begun.

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