AIRPORT AILMENTS
HEATHROW HIKES DROP OFF FEE TO £7 AND CUTS WAIT TIME LABELLED UNJUSTIFIABLE MONEYMAKER
Heathrow Airport is set to raise its drop-off charge by £1 to £7 from January 1, putting it on par with other major London hubs such as Stansted, and Luton. The increase comes alongside a new strict 10- minute maximum stay limit in the drop-off zones. The current £6 ‘kiss-and-fly’ fee was initially introduced at £5 in 2021. Vehicles staying longer than the new 10-minute limit risk an £80 Parking Charge Notice. Motoring campaigners and taxi drivers have fiercely criticised the steady fee increases, arguing that passengers will ultimately be forced to “shoulder the costs.” Zamir Dreni, a private hire driver in
London, called the latest fee hike “unfair” and an easy scheme to generate revenue. He told Metro: “How can you justify that? It’s a moneymaker, there is no other way to polish it. An easy scheme to make as much money as possible.” Dreni also said the high charges push drivers to avoid airport work, stating: “I avoid Heathrow and other airports as much as I can, and so do many other drivers I know.” He added: “To me, it is an unjusti- fiable charge. They are charging enough for pick-ups, which is £7.50.” He also noted that the strict 10- minute limit is stressful, especially for drivers assisting passengers
such as wheelchair users or families with significant luggage, arguing the limit can easily be exceeded when waiting to exit the zone. Heathrow claims “95% of passenger visits are under 10 minutes.” A Heathrow spokesperson defended the decision, stating: “This change brings Heathrow’s Terminal Drop-Off Charge in line with other major UK airports and plays a key role in our sustainability strategy.” The airport claimed the fee helps “reduce congestion, encourages public transport use, and ensures our forecourts are used for their intended purposes.”
GATWICK AIRPORT BECOMES UK’S MOST EXPENSIVE DROP-OFF ZONE WITH 43% HIKE TO £10
Gatwick Airport is to implement a substantial hike to its passenger drop-off fee on January 6, raising the charge to £10 for 10 minutes outside the terminal. This 43% increase from the current £7 makes Gatwick the most expensive airport in the UK for car drop-offs. Gatwick Airport has defended the decision, citing a significant rise in operating costs, specifically point- ing to an increase in business rates levied by Chancellor Rachel Reeves. A spokeswoman for Gatwick stated: “This increase in the drop- off charge is not a decision we have taken lightly. However, we are facing a increasing costs, including business rates more than doubling.” The airport added that the charge is intended to achieve two goals:
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“The increase in the drop-off charge will support wider efforts to encourage greater use of public transport,
helping limit the
number of cars and reduce congestion at the entrance to our terminals, alongside funding a sustainable transport initiatives.” The fee, which was introduced at £5 in March 2021, has steadily increased, reaching £7 in May 2025. This latest jump places it £3 higher than any other airport nationwide. The airport is facing a major financial challenge, with its business rates bill set for an £11.9m hike to £51.6m in 2026-27, despite a 30% cap under transitional relief. Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at the RAC, was critical of the move, noting that the increase is
unprecedented: “A more than 40% increase in the drop-off fee is the largest we’ve ever seen.” Mr Dennis also highlighted the difficulty this poses for certain travellers: “Drivers tell us the main reason they use drop-off facilities at airports is to help people with bulky or heavy luggage – something that can be incredibly impractical on public transport, especially if elderly relatives or young children are in tow. "Sadly, it looks like drivers are going to have to get used to coughing up increasingly exorbitant sums for doing so.” He further added that drop-off fees are “almost unheard of” at major airports elsewhere in Europe.
JANUARY 2025 PHTM
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