Drop-off charges up at most of UK's top-10 airports over 2024

HOLIDAYMAKERS should prepare for hefty airport drop-off charges as new research shows that nine out of 10 of the UK's most popular airports have raised their prices within the past year.

- Tom Jervis [e-mail]

The RAC's study shows that Britain's busiest airport, London Heathrow, has increased its drop-off charge by £1 in the last 12 months to £6; there is no time limit, but those who forget to pay by midnight the next day face an £80 fine, reduced to £40 if it is paid within 14 days.

The second-busiest and among the most costly to drop off at is London Gatwick, which has also raised its charge by £1 year-on-year, meaning drivers face a £7 fee in 2025. London Stansted charges the same sum to use its Express Set Down area, but this saw no increase in the past year.

In fact, as many as 11 of the UK's 20 biggest airports raised their drop-off prices in the previous 12 months, with the likes of Edinburgh, Birmingham and Liverpool also having raised prices by £1, or the equivalent of 20 per cent.