RAC research shows 16 of the 20 busiest UK airports have raised or introduced drop off charges in the past year. Gatwick and Stansted now charge the top rate of £10, average fees are up by around a third, and London City has ended free drop offs entirely.
TL;DR · LAST REVIEWED 24 July 2026
- RAC analysis of the 20 busiest UK airports found 16 increased or introduced so called kiss and fly charges since last summer.
- The average drop off fee rose by around a third to roughly £7, an increase of about £1.70 on a year earlier.
- Gatwick charges £10 for 10 minutes and Stansted £10 for 15 minutes, the highest flat fees in the country.
- London City, previously the only major UK airport with free drop offs, now has the highest per minute rate at £8 for five minutes.
- Only a small group of airports, including Liverpool John Lennon, East Midlands and Belfast City, held their charges this year.
KEY FACTS
- 16 of 20 busiest airports raised or introduced fees
- Average fee up around a third to roughly £7
- Gatwick: £10 for 10 minutes
- Stansted: £10 for 15 minutes
- Edinburgh and Bristol: £8.50 for 10 minutes
- London City: £8 for 5 minutes, its first ever fee
What the RAC research found
New analysis by the RAC of the 20 busiest airports in the UK shows that 16 of them have either increased or newly introduced charges for dropping passengers close to the terminal over the past year. These so called kiss and fly fees apply to the forecourt zones nearest departures, where a driver typically stops for only a few minutes to unload luggage and say goodbye. The average cost of using these zones has risen by around a third compared with the same point last year, climbing by roughly £1.70 to about £7 for a short stop. The scale and consistency of the increases across the sector marks a shift from previous years, when a majority of airports tended to freeze charges annually and only a handful moved prices. The direction of travel is now firmly upwards, and the number of airports offering any free forecourt drop off at all has continued to shrink. For families being driven to the airport by relatives or friends, the charge has become an unavoidable line in the cost of a trip rather than an occasional inconvenience, and the fees increasingly rival the cost of a short stay in official parking.
The most expensive airports for dropping off
Two London airports top the table. Gatwick charges £10 for a 10 minute stop, and Stansted charges £10 for up to 15 minutes, making them the joint most expensive airports in the UK by flat fee. Gatwick moved to £10 in January 2026, an increase the airport attributed in part to a sharp rise in its business rates bill, and Stansted followed in March. Behind them sit Edinburgh and Bristol, which both charge £8.50 for 10 minutes. The most striking change is at London City, which until recently was the only major UK airport analysed that still allowed free drop offs outside its terminal. It has gone from free to the most expensive charge per minute in the country, at £8 for just five minutes. Leeds Bradford charges £8 for 10 minutes, which is more than considerably larger airports such as Manchester at £5.50, Luton at £7 and Newcastle at £6. At the other end of the table, a small group of airports held their prices this year, including Liverpool John Lennon, East Midlands and Belfast City, though holding a charge is not the same as offering a free alternative at the kerb.
Why airports say charges keep rising
Airports defend drop off charges on two main grounds. The first is congestion and emissions management: pricing the forecourt discourages private car journeys to the terminal door and nudges passengers towards public transport, coaches and taxis, which supports the surface access targets that many airports have committed to. The second is commercial. UK airports are, with few exceptions, privately owned businesses paying full commercial rates of taxation, and forecourt income has become a material revenue stream that helps fund terminal operations without raising aeronautical charges to airlines. Gatwick explicitly cited a more than doubling of its business rates bill when it lifted its fee to £10 at the start of the year. Critics, including motoring groups, argue that the charges have moved well beyond congestion management and now function as a tax on the briefest of stops, pointing out that many large airports in continental Europe still allow free or very low cost drop offs outside their terminals. The RAC has described paying £10 to open a boot and unload a suitcase as difficult to justify to drivers.
How to avoid or reduce the fees
Most airports that charge for forecourt drop off also operate a free or cheaper alternative, usually a mid stay or long stay car park located a short distance from the terminal and connected by a free shuttle bus or a walking route. Stopping there typically allows between 15 and 60 minutes free of charge, which is enough time to park, help with luggage and accompany a passenger to the terminal, at the cost of an extra 10 to 20 minutes of journey time. Details and time limits vary by airport and are published on each airport's official website, which is worth checking before travelling because payment methods also differ: several airports now use barrierless number plate recognition systems that require payment online by midnight the following day, and missing that deadline can convert a £10 charge into a parking charge notice many times larger. Public transport remains the other route around the fee entirely. Rail, tram, coach and bus links serve most major UK airports, and for solo travellers the total cost can compare favourably with the combined price of fuel and forecourt charges for a private car journey.
What this means for travel budgets
Drop off fees are a small item individually, but they compound across a return trip. A family being dropped off and collected at Gatwick faces £20 in forecourt charges alone, before parking, fuel or tolls, and repeat visits for business travel multiply the cost across a year. The steady removal of free options means the realistic choice at most large airports is now between paying the kerb price, using the free waiting car park with extra time, or switching mode of transport altogether. The pattern also matters for anyone booking private transfers, since taxi and private hire operators generally pass drop off charges through to the passenger either within the fare or as an itemised extra. With 16 of the 20 busiest airports having moved prices in a single year, and with several having introduced entirely new charging tiers for longer stays, the sensible working assumption for any UK departure in 2026 is that stopping at the terminal will cost money, and that the amount is more likely to rise than fall at the next annual review.
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DISCLAIMER
This article is editorial information, not financial advice. Kael Tripton Ltd is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Figures were correct at the last review date shown above; verify current rates and rules with the primary sources listed below before acting.
Frequently asked questions
What is a kiss and fly charge?
It is the informal name for the fee airports levy on vehicles using the drop off zone closest to the terminal, typically covering a stop of five to twenty minutes to unload passengers and luggage.
Which UK airports charge the most for drop off?
Gatwick and Stansted charge the highest flat fees at £10, for 10 and 15 minutes respectively. London City has the highest rate per minute at £8 for five minutes.
Are any UK airports still free for drop offs?
Free terminal forecourt drop offs have largely disappeared at major airports. However, most airports offer a free waiting period in a mid stay or long stay car park a short distance from the terminal.
How are drop off charges paid?
Methods vary. Some airports use barriers and card payment, while others use number plate recognition and require online payment by a deadline, often midnight the next day. Missing the deadline can trigger a parking charge notice.
Why have drop off charges gone up so much?
Airports cite congestion management, emissions targets and rising operating costs, including business rates. Motoring groups argue the fees now exceed what congestion management alone would justify.
SOURCES
- RAC: airport drop off charges research – accessed 24 July 2026
- Civil Aviation Authority: UK airport data – accessed 24 July 2026
