‘The roads around the site were regularly gridlocked’

16:42, 01 Jan 2026Updated 16:49, 01 Jan 2026

Manchester Airport(Image: Kenny Brown | Manchester Evening News)

The chief executive of Manchester Airport has ruled out a return of free drop-offs and pick-ups, describing the airport’s charging policy as an ‘absolutely necessary’ part of traffic management.

The airport introduced a key change in spring this year, bringing in barrierless parking after complaints from people inadvertently activating more expensive pay brackets as they waited in queues to leave zones.

Previously, drivers were forced to pay for their visit on the spot.

Now, there is no payment taken at the airport via cash or card, but drivers must remember to pay online before midnight the following day, or risk a £100 fine – reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.

Drop-offs cost £5 for five minutes, £6.40 for 10 minutes and £25 for up to 30 minutes. Signs were put in place to alert people of the need to pay within 24 hours.

The change sees cameras identify cars by their registration numbers and automatically record who has used the pick-up or drop-off zones.

The new barrierless system

But there is a free drop-off zone in the JetParks1 area – with free shuttle buses available running to terminals.

Charges are now common among all major airports, but the issue continues to spark controversy and debate.

Chris Woodroofe, the managing director of Manchester Airport, has now moved to speak about why the charges are in place, saying a return to free drop-offs ‘would result in a worse service for our passengers’.

Mr Woodroofe said: “I do totally understand that people don’t like being charged to be dropped off at the airport, but it’s an absolutely necessary part of how we manage traffic on the site and is common across pretty much all UK airports for the same reason.

“The charges were brought in before my time, but I know what it could be like before they existed – the roads around the site were regularly gridlocked resulting in complaints to us and regular stories in these pages about people queueing to get dropped off – and in some cases missing flights as a result.

Manchester Airport(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)

“Charges to use the drop-off and pick-up areas are vital in controlling the numbers of people using the airport’s road network and act in the same way as congestion charges in places like London.

“Drop-offs and pick-ups are also the most damaging to the environment, as they mean every passenger has four car journeys as part of their trip, compared to the number they have if they book car parking or use public transport.

“We know for some people it is their only option, though, and that’s why we still make it possible for people to drop someone off directly outside the terminal and pay their £5 by the following midnight.

“So – and I know this will be disappointing to some readers – we don’t have any plans to go back to having a free drop-off at the terminals because in reality that would result in a worse service for our passengers.

MD Chris Woodroofe(Image: MAG)

“But it’s really important to be clear that people can still drop-off for free via our shuttle service that runs from JetParks1.

“I think sometimes people are put off by the notion of a shuttle bus and maybe assume that they’ll have to wait a long time – but that’s not the case, the buses run every few minutes and it’s only on Thorley Lane just the other side of the motorway spur from the airport, so getting to the terminals only takes a few minutes too.

“I should also point out that our £5 base level drop off charge is the cheapest of any major international UK airport the size of Manchester – and cheaper than most smaller airports too.”