\n\t\t\t\t\tPrices are rising in the UK – some by as much as a third – with the picture very different at EU airports\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n
More than half of the UK\u2019s airports have increased drop-off charges this year \u2013 some by as much as a third, new research has found.<\/p>\n
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 \u00a33 to \u00a34, an increase of 33 per cent.<\/p>\n
Cardiff, meanwhile, introduced a \u00a33 drop-off fee for the first time in October 2024, leaving London City the only airport in the top 20 not to charge. Luton\u2019s drop-off area, which was closed for reconstruction following a fire, reopened in July 2024 with a \u00a35 fee \u2013 the same as it charged in 2023.<\/p>\n
The most expensive drop-offs in 2025 are \u00a37, at Gatwick, Stansted, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Southampton \u2013 all of which, barring Stansted, have raised their prices from last year.<\/p>\n
The \u00a37 fee is more than three times the price of setting down passengers at Amsterdam Schiphol, the only one among the EU\u2019s 10 busiest airports to charge, at \u20ac2.50 (\u00a32.16). Other European hubs, including Paris Charles de Gaulle, Madrid and Rome Fiumicino, remain free for drop-offs.<\/p>\n
Rod Dennis, the RAC\u2019s senior policy officer, said: \u201cThe 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 \u2013 with fares for the latter subject to the same drop-off fees that drivers need to pay.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cIf a driver wants to help a passenger with mobility issues or a lot of bags get to the terminal, they\u2019ll often end up overstaying the \u2018free\u2019 period offered and getting charged.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Drop-off fees at the UK\u2019s 20 busiest airports<\/p>\n