New analysis has found that every major UK airport now charges drivers at least £5 simply to stop briefly outside terminal buildings for so-called “kiss and fly” drop-offs , a practice that remains rare at airports abroad.
At Gatwick Airport, drivers are charged £10 for a ten-minute stay, double the fee levied five years ago, with an additional £1 charged for every extra minute. London City Airport imposes an £8 charge for stays of up to five minutes, also applying a £1-per-minute penalty thereafter.
At Bristol Airport, motorists must pay £8.50 for up to ten minutes, while Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport serving more than 200,000 passengers daily, recently raised its drop-off charge to £7 per visit outside each of its four operational terminals. Waiting is not permitted.
Drivers who overstay or fail to pay online on the day of drop-off can face fines of up to £100 at many airports.
UK Stands Alone Internationally
A comparison by the Business Travel Association (BTA) examined drop-off policies at major international hubs, including Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, New York JFK, Beijing, Sydney, Seoul, and Tokyo-Haneda.
The analysis found that few overseas airports charge any drop-off fees at all.
According to the BTA, 80 per cent of major European airports including Paris Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt, Lisbon, Dublin and Rome Fiumicino allow free terminal drop-offs. Where charges do exist in Europe, they are typically far lower than those imposed in Britain.
The group estimates that UK airports generate more than £300 million annually from drop-off charges alone, with most of the country’s major airports under private ownership.
Profits and Public Backlash
Heathrow, which is owned by a consortium of foreign investors including Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, reported pre-tax profits exceeding £900 million in 2024. Gatwick Airport, partly owned by BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners, recorded profits of more than £450 million.
Clive Wratten, chief executive of the BTA, said the scale of the charges could no longer be justified.
“It’s time to challenge the out-of-hand UK drop-off fees, which are now the highest in the world,” he said. “Claims about sustainability or operational costs don’t stand up when airports are making near billion-pound profits and free drop-offs remain the norm across Europe.
“This isn’t just a financial burden, it’s a fairness issue. Public transport simply isn’t a realistic option for many early-morning flights, business travellers or people with mobility needs and those are the passengers being hit hardest.”
Calls for Reform Grow
The BTA is calling for a £3 cap on drop-off charges, discounts for electric vehicles, limits on daily charges, and restrictions on charging during periods when public transport options are limited. The RAC has also urged action, warning that drivers are “increasingly paying the price”.
The issue has reached Parliament, where MPs have accused airports of imposing drop-off fees primarily to boost profits rather than deliver environmental benefits.
Industry and Government Response
Airports UK, the industry’s trade body, defended the charges, arguing that privately owned airports rely on additional revenue streams in a way that state-owned airports abroad do not.
The organisation said drop-off fees help fund infrastructure investment, reduce congestion and cut emissions, while adding that most airports provide free alternative drop-off areas and support schemes for passengers with additional needs.
A government spokesperson said airport parking policies are set by private operators but stressed the need for fairness.
“Parking revenue supports future investment and encourages public transport use,” the spokesperson said. “However, the government expects car parking at UK airports to be managed appropriately, particularly where public transport alternatives are limited.”
