{"id":934244,"date":"2026-05-03T04:01:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-03T04:01:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/934244\/"},"modified":"2026-05-03T04:01:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T04:01:21","slug":"scotlands-airports-cashing-in-on-rip-off-pick-up-and-drop-off-charges-despite-100m-profit-boost","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/934244\/","title":{"rendered":"Scotland\u2019s airports cashing in on ‘rip-off’ pick-up and drop-off charges despite \u00a3100m profit boost"},"content":{"rendered":"

Experts said pick-up and drop-off fees at terminals, branded the ‘kiss and fly tax’, are a “rip off”.\"airport<\/p>\n

Drop-off charges at airports have been described as excessive<\/p>\n

Scotland\u2019s biggest airports are cashing in on \u201crip-off\u201d pick-up and drop-off <\/a>charges despite boosting their profits by more than \u00a3100million.<\/p>\n

The fees \u2013 branded the \u201ckiss-and-fly-tax\u201d <\/a>\u2013 hit drivers using short-stay zones, with Glasgow and Aberdeen increasing the price to \u00a37 for the first 15 minutes.<\/p>\n

Edinburgh\u2019s charges rose to \u00a36 for the first 10 minutes last year.<\/p>\n

We can reveal all three airports reported a combined pre-tax profit totalling \u00a3255.7million in 2024 \u2013 a \u00a3101.8million rise from 2023.<\/p>\n

Consumer and motoring dis\u00adputes expert Scott Dixon<\/a>, of Edinburgh, said: \u201cMotorists are seen as lucrative cash cows by airports who are reporting soaring profits and will see it for what it is \u2013 a blatant rip-off.<\/p>\n

\"glasgow<\/p>\n

Front of terminal building at Glasgow Airport(Image: Ross Turpie – Daily Record \/ Sunday Mail)<\/p>\n

\u201cAirport bosses may say they offer free drop-off zones further away and charges are reinvested or used to encourage public transport to deflect any criticism.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn reality, many travellers, particularly the disabled, don\u2019t have a choice. It isn\u2019t a luxury.\u201d<\/p>\n

Holidaymaker Derek McEwan, of Bathgate, in West Lothian, said: \u201cIt\u2019s a complete rip-off. People forget these air\u00ad\u00adports were \u00adoriginally built with public money and charged nothing for dropping people off.<\/p>\n

“But like everything else the private sector was allowed to come in and buy them off at knockdown prices and now customers are getting shafted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Aberdeen<\/p>\n

Aberdeen International Airport(Image: PA)<\/p>\n

Recent research revealed the UK is the world\u2019s most expensive place for drop-offs.<\/p>\n

Travellers going to Glasgow airport have to shell out \u00a37 for 15 minutes, plus \u00a31 for every extra minute, after the price rose from \u00a36. It marks the fourth consecutive year the airport has raised the cost.<\/p>\n

Those at Aberdeen airport, pay \u00a37 for 15 minutes in the \u00addrop-off zone \u2013 an increase from \u00a35.50. AGS Airports \u2013 which owns both facilities \u2013 has previously said the decision was due to rising costs.<\/p>\n

But accounts show AGS raked in a combined \u00a3111.3mill\u00ad\u00adion in pre-tax profits.<\/p>\n

\"edinburgh<\/p>\n

Edinburgh Airport, Scotland’s busiest, brought in drop-off charges in 2010(Image: REACH PLC)<\/p>\n

At Edinburgh<\/a>, a \u00a31 drop-off fee was introduced in 2010. By last year it had increased to \u00a36 for the first 10 minutes and \u00a31 per extra minute. Edinburgh airport, jointly owned by Vinci Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners, made more than \u00a388.2million in 2023 which rose to \u00a3144.4million in 2024.<\/p>\n

\"airport<\/p>\n

Drop-off charges at airports have been described as excessive<\/p>\n

Most major UK airports now charge between \u00a35 and \u00a310 for a short drop-off.<\/p>\n

Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports <\/a>said there are free drop-off areas further away from the main terminals.<\/p>\n

Edinburgh Airport said: \u201cOur costs allow us to remain com\u00adpetitive, invest in our \u00adinfra\u00ad\u00ad\u00adstructure and encourage people to make more sustainable choices, with 41 per cent of our passengers using public transport. This is one of highest rates among UK airports without a direct rail link.\u201d<\/p>\n

AGS Airports said it faced significant increases in operating costs \u201csuch as the recent 50 per cent increase in our business rates and must ensure the airport remains competitive while continuing to invest in services\u201d.<\/p>\n

It added: \u201cUnlike many other airports, AGS airports\u2019 remains behind pre- Covid passenger volumes, nor do we receive any government support.\u201d<\/p>\n

It said it was committed to investing more than \u00a3350mil\u00ad\u00adlion to upgrade facilities, support route development and improve access and added: \u201cWe recognise the free long-stay option may not be suitable for all disabled passengers. We therefore offer valid Blue Badge holders 30 minutes free parking in our ShortStay car park adjacent to the terminal.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Experts said pick-up and drop-off fees at terminals, branded the ‘kiss and fly tax’, are a “rip off”.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":934245,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[7826],"tags":[77737,44073,748,11500,918,14986,4884,712,10613,1523,1263,16,15,27436],"class_list":["post-934244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-glasgow","tag-aberdeen-airport","tag-bathgate","tag-britain","tag-edinburgh-airport","tag-glasgow","tag-glasgow-airport","tag-great-britain","tag-scotland","tag-sunday-mail-news","tag-taxes","tag-transport","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-west-lothian"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116508655387663542","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=934244"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/934244\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/934245"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=934244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=934244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=934244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}