Soaring drop-off charges at UK Airports: Are taxi drivers being taken for a ride?

As the UK braces for its busiest travel season with the summer holidays approaching, new RAC analysis reveals a surge in passenger drop-off charges at seven of the top 20 UK airports.

Notably, London Gatwick, Edinburgh, Birmingham, and Bristol airports have increased their drop-off fees by £1 since last summer. Drivers can now expect to pay £6 for 10 minutes at Gatwick and Bristol, and £5 for 10 minutes at Edinburgh and 15 minutes at Birmingham. Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, and Aberdeen have also raised their fees by 50p.

Despite these hikes, nine airports have kept their drop-off charges unchanged this year. However, only three major airports—London City, Cardiff, and Inverness—still offer free drop-off zones. London Luton provides free 20-minute drop-offs in its Mid Stay Car Park due to the closure of its Drop Off Zone after last October’s fire, but this convenience comes with a 10-minute walk or shuttle bus ride to the terminal.

London Stansted remains the most expensive airport for drop-offs, charging £7 for up to 15 minutes—equivalent to 47p per minute. Leeds Bradford follows closely with a £6.50 charge for 10 minutes. London Gatwick and Bristol are tied for third at £6 for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Glasgow and Aberdeen charge £5.50 for 15 minutes.

On a cost-per-minute basis, Manchester offers the worst value, charging £5 for a mere five-minute stay—an eye-watering £1 per minute. Leeds Bradford, at 65p per minute, is the second priciest on this metric.

An RAC survey found that 81% of drivers who have used airport drop-off zones in the past year consider the charges a 'rip-off', with 71% believing all airports should offer free drop-offs. Only 13% of respondents understand the rationale behind these fees.

Airports argue that high drop-off fees encourage the use of public transport, yet RAC research highlights the impracticality of this alternative. Nearly 40% of those surveyed reported no viable public transport options, and 34% cited unreliability. Moreover, 59% of drivers find it impractical to manage luggage on public transport, making taxi and car drop-offs a necessary convenience.

RAC Senior Policy Officer, Rod Dennis, said: “It’s depressing, if perhaps unsurprising given what’s happened in the past, to see seven airports have hiked their drop-off charges once again this year. To have to pay £5, £6 or even £7 for the briefest of stops to simply open the boot and take some luggage out for a friend or loved one is bordering on the ridiculous.

“Increased charges at airports that have relatively poor public transport access – for instance, no direct rail or tram link – also seems pretty unreasonable. Some airports say the reason they charge for drop-offs at all is to discourage people from driving in the first place, but if the alternatives are non-existent, expensive or unreliable then what choice do people really have?

“Our research also clearly shows that a major reason for driving and dropping off is the practical challenges of travelling with heavy and bulky luggage, especially if you have elderly or very young people in tow. If the only public transport to get to an airport is, for example, a pretty impractical double-decker bus, it’s no wonder people turn to the car.

“Fortunately, most of the country’s busiest airports have frozen their charges this year and travellers have to hope things stay that way. For anyone having to drop off this summer, we strongly urge them to keep their goodbyes extremely short so they don’t stay a moment longer than they’re paying for. Those visiting London Heathrow or Gatwick should also be aware that it’s now not possible to pay the drop-off charge in-person at either airport. Instead, they need to pay online using the official airport website or by phone – an unfortunate extra piece of admin drivers could surely do without.

“It’s also worth remembering that many airports offer free or cheaper short-term parking further away from the terminal. This might be significantly less convenient, but it does save money.”