Taxi Driver Online

Drop-off charges at UK airports to be reviewed after sharp increase

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwp8gynk13rro



Airport drop-off charges are to be reviewed by the government following sharp price increases in recent years.

Prices at major UK airports have risen by a third since the summer of 2025 on average, according to one analysis, with Gatwick and Stansted drop-off charges found to be the most expensive, jumping from £7 to £10.

Such charges at Edinburgh Airport have risen from £6 to £8.50, while fees at Bournemouth increased from £5 to £8, the same price as Leeds Bradford and London City.

The Department for Transport confirmed it had committed to a review, saying it was "vital to ensure travel remains accessible and that passengers are treated fairly".

The government added it hoped airports would "exercise restraint on rises, particularly where there are limited public transport alternatives".

'Rip-off'

The RAC, which conducted the analysis in July this year, has campaigned against increases in drop-off charges. It said a review of "kiss and fly" fees would be "music to the ears to drivers".

"We know airport drop-off charges are a growing source of anger and frustration," said Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at the RAC.

"Four-in-five drivers we've surveyed believe they are a 'rip-off', with just one-in-10 understanding why airports charge what they do."

The RAC's research found London City Airport, which only introduced charges in 2026, was the most expensive on a per-minute basis.

Its £8 charge for five minutes works out at £1.60 per minute. Belfast International Airport now charges £5 for 10 minutes in the drop-off zone, up £2 on last year.

None of the top 10 airports in the European Union charge for drop-offs, according to the RAC.

It argues that international airports should not charge for dropping off passengers, however, the industry said the charges were a neccesary part of the business model of airports.

Supporters of such charges also say they encourage travellers to use of more environmentally friendly modes of transport.

"Airports outside the UK are typically publicly owned and in receipt of state subsidies and tax exemptions, while UK airports are generally privately owned and subject to the full array of commercial rates of taxation," said Karen Dee, chief executive of Airports UK, which represents airports.

She added airports offered a "range of options for those travelling to terminals, including free drop off points" and that "any review" by the government would find airports make "excellent use of a variety of ways to manage traffic and air pollution".

The Aviation Environment Federation campaign group has previously defended the fees, arguing they help reduce congestion and air pollution around airports.

Earlier this month, the government announced extra charges for parents sitting with their children when flying would be scrapped in time for next year's summer holidays.

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the changes were part of a series of "everyday fixes" to ease cost of living pressures on households.

_________________
IDFIMH

Maybe those supporters could advise passengers what 'environmentally friendly modes of transport' are available for folks needing to get to the airport in the early hours of the morning, or available for a midnight arrival?

_________________
IDFIMH

To be fair, Sussex, they probably mean it'll deter people from travelling at all

A bit like this LibDem councillor recently, for example, who thinks builders can use push bikes to lug stuff about London

(Specifically a cargo bike - not sure precisely what that is, but seems to be one of those with some sort of box-like container attached. You know, maybe the type you occassionally see people with who have a child with them in said box-like container

And who probably vote LibDem. Or Green.

https://youtu.be/8DdhsTC9EAA?t=32

Great sign that they've got at Gatwick though

Could do with something like that at Edinburgh. Nothing like a bit of clear and prominent signage about stuff like this, as opposed to screeds of stuff in tiny writing that's effectively designed so you can't read it

Which reminds me, did I ever mention the time I was 'banned' from Edinburgh Airport because of an, er, payment issue?

If they lower the drop off charges they might have to start charging Mr Ryan air some landing fees !

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Brief opinion piece in the Telegraph.

Nothing in particular that people in the trade didn't know already.

But at least it all adds to the head of steam building up

(And brief mention of 'taxi drivers' near the end as well.)


Airport drop-off charges are even worse than you think

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/1 ... you-think/

Punitive fees were put in place as part of yet another costly net-zero drive, and the Government has not abandoned its green agenda

At last, a small victory for Telegraph readers grappling with the rising cost of everything.

Extortionate airport drop-off charges are to be reviewed by the Government after newspapers like this flagged unfeasibly sharp price increases in recent years.

As I have previously written, so-called “kiss and fly” prices at major UK airports have risen by a third since the summer of 2025 on average. Gatwick and Stansted are among the worst culprits with drop-off charges having stealthily climbed from £7 to £10.

A tenner to drop someone at an airport!

This daylight robbery isn’t just a plague on the South East. It has been quietly happening across the UK. Edinburgh Airport fees have risen from £6 to £8.50, while the drop-off charge at Bournemouth has increased from £5 to £8. At London City Airport, drivers are charged an eye-watering £1.60 per minute.

Now the Department for Transport has committed to a review, saying it was “vital to ensure travel remains accessible and that passengers are treated fairly”. You don’t say!

Quite why it’s taken them this long is anyone’s guess. Four in five believe these fees to be a “rip off”, and none of the top 10 airports in the European Union charge for drop-offs.

But I’m curious as to whether Andy Burnham understands why these punitive charges materialised. They were put in place to discourage people from driving to airports as part of yet another costly net-zero drive. And as far as I’m aware, the Government has not suddenly decided to abandon that particular agenda.

As with most well-meaning green initiatives, dogma trumped good old-fashioned common sense. The move completely overlooked the fact that there are many circumstances when taking public transport to an airport simply isn’t practical. Take a family of five like mine. We live less than an hour from Heathrow but if we took the train it would take more than 90 minutes – and a great deal of lugging of heavy luggage – to get there.

It also failed to take into account the needs of elderly people and the disabled as well as unfairly clobbering taxi drivers, for whom there is often no exemption. It basically imposed an arbitrary extra tax on travellers who are already saddled with a string of levies simply for wishing to leave the country.

Some had sought to justify these drop-off charges by arguing they were necessary to bring down air pollution… at airports! People must continue to rebel against this “progressive” pick-pocketing.

Another point about the hypocrisy of it all that we've been making for donkey's now

would you still pay the drop off fee if you arrived by Donkey (or horse) ?

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector