Drop off fees at Gatwick increase say the RAC

The cost of dropping off passengers at more than half of the UK’s busiest airports — including Gatwick — has increased, according to the RAC.

New figures from the motoring group, show that 11 out of 20 major UK airports have increased their fees since last July, with Gatwick, Southampton, Stansted, Bristol, and Bradford now charging £7 for a short stay of just a few minutes.  

At Gatwick this increase is £1 since last July and means motorists are paying 70p a minute, because the maximum time allowed at a drop off is 10 minutes.

A London Gatwick spokesperson said: “While we have increased our forecourt drop-off charge from £6 to £7, passengers can be dropped off for free in our long-stay car parks, with a free shuttle bus to the terminal. Blue Badge holders remain exempt from the charge. 

“The drop off charge helps to limit the number of cars and reduces congestion at the entrance to our terminals and funds a number of sustainable transport initiatives – such as our £1m investment in new and enhanced Metrobus routes in 2025. It also plays a role in encouraging more passengers and staff to use public transport to reach the airport, to achieve our aim for 60% of journeys to and from the airport to be zero or ultra-low emissions, by 2030.” 

RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “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. 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.

“Drivers also need to be aware of the growing trend of airports dispensing with on-site payment in favour of introducing barrierless drop-offs that require payment online or by phone later. This is another source of frustration for people who in many cases are just trying to help a family member or friend get to the airport. Anyone who doesn’t notice the change or simply forgets to pay will inevitably be stung with a very unwelcome parking charge notice. 

“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.

“It’s also revealing that the tendency to charge drivers to drop close to terminals isn’t something that’s repeated right across Europe, with major airports like Paris Charles de Gaulle, Barcelona and Rome, as well as those popular with holidaymakers such as Nice and Marseilles, all still offering free ‘kiss and fly’ drop-off zones.”