Motorists face paying up to £10 just to drop off passengers at major UK airports
Scots families heading off on holiday are getting hit before they’ve even reached security, as airport drop-off charges continue to climb. New figures suggest the cost of giving a loved one a quick lift to the terminal – and nipping away again – has shot up across the UK, turning a simple goodbye into another travel bill.
For travellers using Edinburgh Airport, the fee is now among the steepest on the list, adding to the cost pressures already facing households. People dropping off there pay £8.50 for 10 minutes.
The RAC says the average “farewell fee” at Britain’s busiest airports has risen from £5.30 last summer to £7 – an increase of around a third in 12 months – with 16 of the UK’s 20 busiest airports putting their prices up. Drivers can now be asked to pay as much as £10 just to stop briefly at the terminal, and the analysis suggests free drop-offs have now disappeared entirely across the top 20 airports after London City removed its last free option.
At the top end are London Gatwick and London Stansted, where motorists pay £10 for a short stop outside the terminal. Edinburgh and Bristol both charge £8.50, while Leeds Bradford, Bournemouth and London City are £8.
The RAC says the UK’s approach looks even tougher when compared internationally. It points out that none of Europe’s 10 busiest airports charges drivers simply to drop passengers at the terminal – and the same applies at major global hubs including Atlanta, Dubai, Shanghai and Istanbul.
And when the fees are broken down by the minute, some charges look even more punishing. At London City Airport, £8 covers just five minutes – equivalent to £1.60 a minute – making it the most expensive in Britain on that basis. Manchester follows at £1.10 a minute, with Gatwick at £1 a minute. Edinburgh works out at 85p per minute.
Most expensive UK airport drop-off charges (RAC)
- Gatwick – £10 (10 mins)
- Stansted – £10 (15 mins)
- Edinburgh – £8.50 (10 mins)
- Bristol – £8.50 (10 mins)
- Leeds Bradford – £8 (10 mins)
- London City – £8 (5 mins)
- Bournemouth – £8 (30 mins)
Britain’s priciest by cost per minute (RAC)
- London City – £1.60
- Manchester – £1.10
- Gatwick – £1.00
- Edinburgh – 85p
- Bristol – 85p
- Leeds Bradford – 80p
In one comparison, the RAC says paying £1 a minute can actually be more expensive than the cost per minute of a return flight for two from Gatwick to the Greek island of Zakynthos this summer. The organisation also flagged a trap for drivers at airports using barrier-free “pay later” systems. At Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Stansted and Luton, motorists must pay online or by phone before midnight the following day rather than paying on the way out.
Miss that cut-off and a parking charge notice of up to £100 could drop through the letterbox. Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at the RAC, said: “It’s disappointing to see so many airports charging so much for what many regard as a simple act of kindness in dropping off family and friends.
“Having a captive audience should be no excuse for these ‘farewell fees’ – especially when they’re completely at odds with how major airports around the world operate.” He also warned: “Those that drop off but miss the signage, or forget to go online or phone the airport to pay soon afterwards, can face a parking charge notice as high as £100 – a fee that feels distinctly disproportionate to the contravention.”
The RAC said motorists should look out for cheaper or free options, such as using short- or long-stay car parks with shuttle buses to the terminal. However, that can mean extra walking or a longer transfer.
A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “This increase has been driven by a substantial £8 million rise in our business rates bill. That is a significant additional cost which cannot simply be absorbed. As a membership organisation that regularly adjusts its own prices in response to rising costs, the RAC will more than understand these commercial realities.
“Passengers continue to have access to a free pick-up and drop-off area for up to 30 minutes, which has recently been extended and brought closer to the terminal.”
A London Gatwick spokesperson said: “Drop-off charges are part of a range of measures aimed at disincentivising ‘kiss and fly’ trips and supporting our sustainability commitment of at least 52% of passengers travelling to and from the airport by public transport by 2030.
“We don’t take decisions related to this charge lightly, however data indicates that it is effective in influencing passengers to seek alternative options. Passengers can still be dropped off for free in our long-stay car parks, with a free shuttle bus to the terminal and Blue Badge holders are exempt from the charge.
“London Gatwick also has excellent public transport connectivity, with passengers able to travel directly to more than 120 train stations across London and the South East, with eight local bus routes serving the airport 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
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