Politics

Fury as airport drop-off charges cost MORE per minute than flight to Turkey – so are YOU paying through the nose?


More than half of UK airports raised or introduced drop-off fees for drivers in the past year – while most of the busiest EU airports still have no charge, a study has found.

Eleven out of 20 UK airports have increased ‘kiss and fly’ charges – typically levied for dropping off a passenger as close to a terminal as possible – since last summer.

Nine airports raised their fees by £1 – Belfast City, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow, Liverpool John Lennon, Newcastle and Southampton.

Leeds Bradford and Glasgow both added 50p to their charges – while Cardiff introduced a £3 fee having previously had no charge, according to the RAC.

Luton had no kiss and fly area last summer because of a car park fire, but now charges £5.

Prices were frozen at Aberdeen, Belfast International, Bournemouth, East Midlands, Manchester and Stansted.

London City was the only UK airport analysed which allows free drop-offs outside its terminal.

On a cost-per-minute basis, the most expensive airports are Luton and Manchester, where drivers have to spend £5 to stop for just five minutes.

Fury as airport drop-off charges cost MORE per minute than flight to Turkey – so are YOU paying through the nose?

London Heathrow Airport is now charging £6 for drop-offs, up from the previous £5 last year

These £1-per-minute drop-off rates mean the cost of a return flight from Manchester to Turkey in August is cheaper on a per-minute basis.

This is based on a flight to Istanbul taking four hours and five minutes each way, with return tickets on a major carrier available for £415 return in economy, on August 9 to 23.

‘Kiss and fly’ charges for each airport 

  • £7: Bristol, Gatwick, Leeds Bradford, Southampton and Stansted.
  • £6: Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow and Liverpool John Lennon.
  • £5.50: Aberdeen.
  • £5: Bournemouth, East Midlands, Luton, Manchester and Newcastle.
  • £4: Belfast City.
  • £3: Belfast International and Cardiff.
  • £0: London City

Flying from Luton to Istanbul on the same dates costs £275 return and takes four hours and ten minutes each way. 

That makes the flight nearly double the price per minute of the five-minute drop off at Luton (55p versus £1). 

The RAC also found there is no fee for dropping off at eight of the ten busiest EU airports, such as Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt, Rome, Barcelona and Madrid.

RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said this makes increases in fees at UK airports ‘all the more depressing’.

He went on: ‘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.’

Mr Dennis said the main reason passengers get dropped off at airports is because they have bulky luggage, which means taking public transport ‘can be impractical’.

He acknowledged that many UK airports offer free options for dropping passengers off in car parks which require a walk or bus ride to the terminal.

But he claimed these areas are ‘often well away from the terminal’ and drivers wanting to help a passenger get to the terminal will ‘often end up overstaying the free period’.

Mr Dennis also expressed concern over the growing trend of airports replacing on-site payment with a barrierless system requiring payment to be made online or by phone.

‘Anyone who doesn’t notice the change or simply forgets to pay will inevitably be stung with a very unwelcome parking charge notice,’ he added.

The drop-off zone outside London Stansted Airport in Essex, which costs £7 for 15 minutes

The drop-off zone outside London Stansted Airport in Essex, which costs £7 for 15 minutes

Karen Dee, chief executive of trade body AirportsUK, 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.’

The top 20 airports were selected based on total passenger numbers reported to the Civil Aviation Authority for 2024 – with the figures based on nearest drop-off points to terminal buildings.

​RAC’s top tips to avoid stress and high airport parking charges 

  • Do your research: Check out the drop-off options on the airport’s website to understand fees, how to pay and permitted waiting times. Terminal drop-off areas are likely to be the most expensive
  • Know how to pay: Understand how to pay before you leave for the airport. An increasing number of airports no longer allow you to pay on site, instead demanding you pay online or by phone within 24 hours afterwards. Set a reminder to do this to avoid a fine.
  • Keep your goodbyes short: Don’t spend too long saying your farewells – otherwise they’ll prove expensive if you go over the time limit.
  • Check your taxi fare includes a drop-off fee: If you’re booking a taxi to take you to the airport, check to see where it drops you off and whether the fare quoted includes the airport’s fee.
  • Never drop-off on a road inside the airport perimeter: Airports rigorously enforce no-stopping zones, so don’t be tempted to save money by dropping off on a road inside the perimeter. Use the dedicated drop-off zone or another car park instead.



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