More than half of the UK’s airports have increased drop-off charges this year – some by as much as a third, new research has found.
The RAC analysed fees at 20 major UK airports and found that 11 had raised their prices since last year, with the biggest rise at Belfast City, where fees gave gone from £3 to £4, an increase of 33 per cent.
Cardiff, meanwhile, introduced a £3 drop-off fee for the first time in October 2024, leaving London City the only airport in the top 20 not to charge. Luton’s drop-off area, which was closed for reconstruction following a fire, reopened in July 2024 with a £5 fee – the same as it charged in 2023.
The most expensive drop-offs in 2025 are £7, at Gatwick, Stansted, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Southampton – all of which, barring Stansted, have raised their prices from last year.
The £7 fee is more than three times the price of setting down passengers at Amsterdam Schiphol, the only one among the EU’s 10 busiest airports to charge, at €2.50 (£2.16). Other European hubs, including Paris Charles de Gaulle, Madrid and Rome Fiumicino, remain free for drop-offs.
Rod Dennis, the RAC’s senior policy officer, said: “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.”
He added: “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.”
Analysis by The i Paper found airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester allow people with mobility problems who have a blue badge to enter their drop-off zones free of charge (pre-registration required at some airports). Others, such as Luton and Stansted, charge blue badge holders for drop-offs, but offer free parking in other areas.
Drop-off fees at the UK’s 20 busiest airports
Heathrow: £6, up from £5 in July 2024 Gatwick: £7, up from £6 Manchester: £5, no change from July 2024 Stansted: £7, no change Luton: £5, drop-off closed until mid-July 2024 Edinburgh: £6, up from £5 Birmingham: £6, up from £5 Bristol: £7, up from £6 Glasgow: £6, up from £5.50 Belfast International: £3, no change Newcastle: £5, up from £4 Liverpool: £6, up from £5 Leeds Bradford: £7, up from £6.50 East Midlands: £5, no change London City: free, no change Belfast City: £4, up from £3 Aberdeen: £5.50, no change Bournemouth: £5, no change Cardiff: £3, up from free Southampton: £7, up from £6Hence then, the article about how the uk s airport drop off fees compare to europe s was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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