Gatwick and Stansted airports have been found to charge the highest drop-off fees for drivers in the UK, according to new research.
The airports charge £10 for 10 minutes and 15 minutes respectively, according to analysis from RAC ahead of the summer holiday season.
Edinburgh and Bristol are next in the rankings, with both charging £8.50 for 10 minutes.
For electric vehicle owners at Edinburgh, the increase is 183 per cent because the previous half-price concession has been dropped.
London City Airport, previously the only major UK hub analysed to permit free drop-offs outside its terminal, now imposes the nation’s most expensive charge at £8 for five minutes.
It comes as more than three-quarters of of UK airports have hiked or introduced drop-off fees for drivers over the past year.
Sixteen out of 20 airports surveyed by the RAC have increased their “kiss and fly” charges – levied for dropping off passengers as close to the terminal as possible – since last summer.
This has led to an average cost increase of a third.
Only four airports – Liverpool John Lennon, East Midlands, Belfast City, and Southampton – refrained from raising their fees this year.
Passengers arriving at UK airports via taxis and private hire vehicles are routinely hit with drop-off fees.
In stark contrast, the RAC highlights that none of the 10 busiest airports in the European Union, nor major global hubs like Dubai, Shanghai, or Istanbul, impose such charges.
While UK airports do offer complimentary drop-off zones in mid- or long-stay car parks, these typically require bus transfers to the terminal.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis 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.
“Of course, airports need to manage the limited space they have carefully, but if free, convenient drop-off zones work at many other international airports, then why not here?”
Mr Dennis also urged drivers to be “extremely careful” about park now, pay later drop-off zones, which do not have barriers.
He said: “Those that drop off but miss the signage or forget to pay soon afterwards can face a parking charge notice as high as £100 – a fee that feels distinctly disproportionate to the contravention.”
Conservative peer Lord Moylan has tabled an amendment to the Civil Aviation Bill asking for a review of drop-off charges.
A spokesperson for industry body AirportsUK said: “Where drop-off fees are charged, these are a part of the airport business model and help support the provision of the widest variety of flights from the airport.
“They are also necessary to manage congestion, and the traffic and air pollution concerns of our local communities, as well as our climate change objectives.
“These are issues that airports are mandated to manage by the Government and local authorities.
“Airports outside the UK have a different business model – typically being public owned and in receipt of state subsidies and tax discounts.
“The UK airport sector is in contrast generally privately owned and paying full commercial rates of taxation.”
Here is a breakdown of charges for each airport
£8.50: Bristol and Edinburgh
£8: Bournemouth, Leeds Bradford and London City
£7: Aberdeen, Birmingham, Glasgow, Heathrow, Luton and Southampton
£6: Liverpool John Lennon and Newcastle
£5.50: Manchester
£5: Belfast International and East Midlands
£4.50: Cardiff
£4: Belfast City
UK airports make e-gate rule change
UK airports are preparing for the summer rush by extending e-gate access to younger children, a move announced by the Home Office to help reduce waiting times for arriving passengers.
Children aged eight and nine returning to the UK will be eligible to utilise the automated passport control system.
This policy change is expected to allow up to 1.5 million more children to pass through the electronic gates, according to government figures.
The timing coincides with the ongoing summer holiday period, with schools in Scotland and Northern Ireland already closed, and those in England and Wales set to break up later in June.
However, specific conditions apply: children must be at least 120cm tall to be accurately scanned by the biometric systems and must always be accompanied by an adult.
