Car drivers have been warned of soaring charges at UK airports to drop off passengers this summer, while major European airports continue to allow motorists brief stops without charge.
With most UK airports raising charges to up to £7 to briefly park near terminals, the cost of some drop-offs is now more expensive per minute than peak-season holiday flights.
Analysis by the RAC found that 11 of the UK’s 20 biggest airports have raised their fees since last year, with Gatwick, Stansted, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Southampton all charging £7 for dropping off.
Heathrow, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Liverpool have all pushed fees up by 20%, now charging £6 for a 10- to 20-minute stay.
Belfast City’s rise is the steepest, with charges going up by a third to £4 for 10 minutes.
Luton and Manchester now have the highest rate per minute, charging £5 for a maximum five-minute stay – more per minute than the cost of a return flight from Manchester to Turkey in August, the RAC said.
The motoring services company contrasted the practice with the biggest airports in the EU, where eight of out 10, including Paris Charles de Gaulle, Madrid and Frankfurt, still allow free drop-offs close to the terminals.
The RAC’s senior policy officer, Rod Dennis, said some UK airports still offered short-stay free parking, but often well away from the terminal and problematic for passengers with mobility issues or heavy luggage.
He said: “The main reason drivers drop off at airports, according to our research, is to help people with bulky and often heavy luggage. This is understandable when the alternative to the car is often either a conventional bus, which can be impractical with lots of cases, or a costly taxi – with fares for the latter subject to the same drop-off fees that drivers need to pay.”
There was also a growing trend for drop-off zones without barriers where drivers are required to pay online, he added: “This is another source of frustration for people who in many cases are just trying to help a family member or friend get to the airport. Anyone who doesn’t notice the change or simply forgets to pay will inevitably be stung with a very unwelcome parking charge notice.”
Karen Dee, the chief executive of the trade body AirportsUK, said: “All airports offer a free drop-off facility. They also have a wide variety of options to suit all passengers’ needs, including premium drop-off in front of the terminal building for those who wish to use that.
“Where fees are charged, this helps airports manage and reduce congestion, noise, carbon emissions and air pollution for local communities, something that they are mandated to do by the government and local authorities.”
