How much does it cost to drop off at UK airports in 2026?

Most UK airports now charge between £4 and £10 to drop off at the terminal, for a stay of 5 to 20 minutes. The table below lists every major UK airport from the highest charge to the lowest, with the time allowed, the cost per minute and the nearest free alternative. Staying longer than the time allowed costs more at every airport that charges.

Charges are from the RAC's July 2026 survey of the 20 busiest UK airports and the airports' published prices, with Luton updated to its September 2026 price. Heathrow's time allowance, and the Southend, Humberside and Inverness figures, are January 2026 prices. Charges can change at short notice, so check the airport's website before you travel.

Which UK airport has the most expensive drop-off charge?

Gatwick and Stansted have the highest drop-off charges in the UK at £10, but London City is the most expensive per minute at £1.60, followed by Manchester at £1.10. Gatwick raised its charge from £7 to £10 for 10 minutes in January 2026, and Stansted raised its charge from £7 to £10 for 15 minutes on 19 March 2026. London City, which used to offer free drop-off, now charges £8 for 5 minutes.

Cost per minute at the 10 most expensive UK airports:

• London City£1.60
• Manchester£1.10
• Gatwick£1.00
• Bristol£0.85
• Edinburgh£0.85
• Leeds Bradford£0.80
• Luton£0.75
• Heathrow£0.70
• Stansted£0.67
• Liverpool£0.60

The cheapest are Humberside and Inverness, where terminal drop-off is free, followed by Belfast City (£4 for 10 minutes) and Cardiff (£4.50 for 10 minutes).

Why have airport drop-off charges gone up?

Airport drop-off charges have risen at most UK airports: the RAC found that 16 of the 20 busiest airports increased their fees in 2026, taking the average to about £7, up by around £1.70 on summer 2025. Airports say the charges help to reduce congestion and emissions outside the terminal and to encourage public transport. They are also a growing source of income. Only Southampton, Liverpool John Lennon, East Midlands and Belfast City kept their charges the same, according to the RAC.

How much have airport drop-off charges risen since 2022?

Since August 2022, drop-off charges have doubled or more at Gatwick, Edinburgh and Birmingham, and Belfast International's charge is five times higher. In 2022, the RAC found that 16 of 22 airports had introduced or raised charges in the previous three years, and the rises have continued every year since. London City, which had a free drop-off area in 2022, now charges £8 for 5 minutes.

2022 figures are from the RAC's August 2022 survey; Heathrow and Gatwick time allowances were not published in that survey.

London airport drop-off charges

London's airports charge between £7 and £10 to drop off: £10 at Gatwick and Stansted, £9 at Luton, £8 at London City and Southend, and £7 at Heathrow. All five main London airports also offer a cheaper or free way to drop off, except London City, which has no free option listed.

Heathrow drop-off charge

Heathrow charges £7 for up to 10 minutes in the drop-off zones at every terminal. The zones are camera-controlled, so you must pay online or by phone by midnight the next day. The zones are on the forecourts of Terminals 2, 3, 4 and 5, so drive to the terminal your airline uses. Picking up from the terminal forecourt is not allowed; use the short-stay car park at your terminal instead. If you are travelling light, the Elizabeth line, the Piccadilly line and the Heathrow Express all stop at the airport, which avoids the charge altogether. For free drop-off, use the Heathrow Long Stay (Park and Ride) car parks and the bus to the terminals. See our Heathrow airport taxi page for fixed fares.

Gatwick drop-off charge

Gatwick charges £10 for up to 10 minutes at the North and South Terminal drop-off zones, the joint highest charge in the UK. The charge rose from £7 in January 2026 and applies at both terminals. Pay online or by phone by midnight the next day, and check which terminal your airline uses before you set off; the free inter-terminal shuttle takes a few minutes if you get it wrong. Gatwick station, at the South Terminal, has frequent trains to London and Brighton. Drop-off in the long-stay car parks is free, with a shuttle bus to the terminals that takes about 10 to 12 minutes. Book a Gatwick airport taxi to avoid the zone altogether.

Stansted drop-off charge

Stansted charges £10 for up to 15 minutes in its Express Set Down zone, since 19 March 2026, and £28 if you stay longer. Picking up in the Express Set Down zone is not allowed; use the short-stay car park instead. Drop-off is free in the Mid Stay car park for up to an hour, with a shuttle bus to the terminal that takes about 7 minutes. Stansted's railway station is directly beneath the terminal. If you are travelling on into London, see our Stansted Airport to London guide.

Luton drop-off charge

Luton charges £9 for up to 12 minutes in the Drop Off and Pick Up zone, then £1 for every extra minute up to 30 minutes. The price rose from £7 for 10 minutes in September 2026. Unpaid charges lead to a £95 Parking Charge Notice. The Long Stay car park allows up to 2 hours free, with a shuttle bus. Our Luton drop-off charges guide covers payment, Blue Badge rules and appeals in full.

London City Airport drop-off charge

London City Airport charges £8 for up to 5 minutes, which makes it the most expensive UK airport per minute. There is no free drop-off area listed, so if someone is driving you, have bags ready and keep the stop short. The DLR station is at the terminal, so public transport is an easy alternative from east and central London. London black cabs add a £6 drop-off extra to the meter for journeys to the airport, introduced in April 2026. A pre-booked London City Airport taxi can take you straight to the terminal.

Southend drop-off charge

London Southend Airport charged £8 for up to 10 minutes in January 2026. Southend was not part of the RAC's 2026 survey, so check the current price before you travel. In January 2026, the short-stay car park cost £16 for up to 30 minutes, so the drop-off zone is the cheaper option for a quick stop. Southend Airport has its own railway station next to the terminal, with direct trains to London Liverpool Street. See our Southend Airport taxi page for transfers.

Drop-off charges at regional airports in England

Regional airports in England charge between £5 and £8.50: the highest are Bristol (£8.50 for 10 minutes) and Leeds Bradford (£8 for 10 minutes), and the lowest are East Midlands (£5 for 15 minutes) and Manchester (£5.50, but for only 5 minutes).

Manchester Airport drop-off charge

Manchester Airport charges £5.50 for up to 5 minutes, the second most expensive UK airport per minute at £1.10. The zones at Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are camera-controlled, so pay by midnight the next day. JetParks 1 offers free drop-off with a bus to the terminals. See our Manchester airport taxi page for fixed fares.

Birmingham Airport drop-off charge

Birmingham Airport charges £7 for up to 15 minutes at the terminal. Birmingham used to allow free terminal drop-off but now charges. The Drop Off car park is free for 10 minutes, about a 5 to 10-minute walk from the terminal. See our Birmingham airport taxi page.

Bristol Airport drop-off charge

Bristol Airport charges £8.50 for up to 10 minutes, up from £7 at the start of 2026, the highest charge outside London alongside Edinburgh. The Waiting Zone car park offers free drop-off, with a bus to the terminal that takes about 7 to 9 minutes. Bristol also allows pick-ups at the terminal, at the same charge.

Leeds Bradford Airport drop-off charge

Leeds Bradford Airport charges £8 for up to 10 minutes. The One Hour Free Parking Zone, about a 3 to 4-minute walk from the terminal, is one of the most convenient free options at any UK airport, so it is worth using if you have a few extra minutes.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport drop-off charge

Liverpool John Lennon Airport charges £6 for up to 10 minutes, unchanged in 2026. Drop Off 2 is free for up to 20 minutes and is about a 2 to 7-minute walk from the terminal.

Newcastle Airport drop-off charge

Newcastle International Airport charges £6 for up to 10 minutes. Check the airport's website for its current free or cheaper option. The Tyne and Wear Metro stops at the airport, which avoids the charge for travellers from Newcastle and Sunderland.

East Midlands Airport drop-off charge

East Midlands Airport charges £5 for up to 15 minutes, among the lowest in England. Drop-off is free in the Long Stay car park for up to an hour, but the walk takes about 15 to 20 minutes and the shuttle is limited, so allow extra time.

Southampton Airport drop-off charge

Southampton Airport charges £7 for up to 20 minutes, the longest time allowance of the major airports, and there is no free drop-off area listed. Southampton Airport Parkway station is a short walk from the terminal, with direct trains from London Waterloo.

Bournemouth Airport drop-off charge

Bournemouth Airport charges £8 to drop off, according to the RAC's 2026 survey. There is no free drop-off area listed, and the time allowed was not confirmed, so check the signs on arrival.

Humberside Airport drop-off

Humberside Airport still lets you drop off free at the terminal for up to 15 minutes, one of only two UK airports to do so.

Scottish airport drop-off charges

Edinburgh charges £8.50 for 10 minutes, Glasgow and Aberdeen £7 for 15 minutes, and Inverness offers free terminal drop-off.

Edinburgh Airport drop-off charge

Edinburgh Airport charges £8.50 for up to 10 minutes, more than double its 2022 charge. The Long Stay car park is free for 30 minutes, about a 10-minute walk from the terminal. The Edinburgh Trams stop at the airport, which avoids the charge from the city centre. See our Edinburgh airport taxi page for transfers.

Glasgow Airport drop-off charge

Glasgow Airport charges £7 for up to 15 minutes. The Long Stay car park is free for up to an hour, with a bus or about a 10-minute walk to the terminal. See our Glasgow airport taxi page.

Aberdeen Airport drop-off charge

Aberdeen International Airport charges £7 for up to 15 minutes. The Long Stay car park is free for up to an hour, with a short bus ride or about a 6-minute walk.

Inverness Airport drop-off

Inverness Airport offers free terminal drop-off for up to 15 minutes. In January 2026, the short-stay car park cost £3.80 for up to 30 minutes, one of the cheapest in the UK.

Wales and Northern Ireland airport drop-off charges

Cardiff charges £4.50 for 10 minutes, Belfast International £5 for 10 minutes and Belfast City £4 for 10 minutes, among the lowest charges in the UK.

Cardiff Airport drop-off charge

Cardiff Airport charges £4.50 for up to 10 minutes. Car Park 2 is free for 20 minutes and is a short walk from the terminal.

Belfast International and Belfast City drop-off charges

Belfast International charges £5 for up to 10 minutes, five times its 2022 charge, and Belfast City (George Best) charges £4 for 10 minutes. Belfast International's Long Stay car park is free for 15 minutes, and Belfast City's Long Stay car park is free for 10 minutes, about a 5-minute walk from the terminal.

Smaller UK airports

Smaller airports generally charge less and allow more time. These were the prices in January 2026:

How do I pay an airport drop-off charge?

At Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and Manchester, cameras record your number plate and you must pay online or by phone by midnight the day after; at other airports you usually pay at a barrier or before you leave. There is usually no ticket or barrier in a camera-controlled zone, which is why many drivers forget to pay. Set a reminder on your phone, or let the passenger pay on the airport's website as soon as you drop them off.

What happens if I don't pay the drop-off charge?

If you do not pay a camera-controlled drop-off charge on time, the airport's parking operator can send a Parking Charge Notice of up to £100 to the registered keeper of the car. At Luton the notice is £95. These are private parking charges, not council fines. If you think a notice is wrong, for example because the payment system failed, appeal to the operator named on the notice first, and keep your payment receipt or screenshot.

If the operator rejects your appeal, the rejection letter should name an independent appeals service, such as POPLA or the Independent Appeals Service (IAS), depending on the operator. Appeal within the deadline on the notice, which is usually 28 days, and include evidence such as a payment confirmation, a bank statement or proof that the payment website was not working. Paying promptly often reduces the amount, so check the notice for any discount period before deciding.

How can I avoid airport drop-off charges?

The easiest ways to avoid a drop-off charge are to use the airport's free car park drop-off, take public transport, or travel by a pre-booked taxi with airport charges included in the fare.

• Use the free car park: most airports offer free drop-off in a long-stay or mid-stay car park, with a shuttle bus or a short walk. Allow an extra 15 to 20 minutes.
• Take the train or coach: many airports have rail or coach links that cost less than the drop-off charge plus fuel.
• Book a taxi with a fixed fare: no one has to pay a charge, find the free car park or worry about the deadline.
• Pick up in the car park, not the forecourt: at many airports, picking up at the terminal is banned or costs the same as drop-off.
• Be quick and prepared: have bags ready and say goodbye before you arrive; the clock starts when you enter the zone.
• Check Blue Badge rules: some airports offer free time in a car park for Blue Badge holders, but the drop-off zone itself is often charged; Luton, for example, gives no discount in the zone.

How do I drop someone off at a UK airport without getting a fine?

Check the charge before you leave, decide between the free car park and the terminal zone, keep the stop within the time allowed, and pay the same day.

1. Check the airport's current charge and time allowance on its website the day before.
2. Check the terminal your airline uses, so you go to the right drop-off zone first time.
3. Decide where to stop: the free car park if you have 15 to 20 minutes to spare, the terminal zone if you do not.
4. Get ready before you arrive: bags by the door, passports in hand, goodbyes said.
5. Note the time you enter the zone and leave within the allowance.
6. Pay straight away online, by phone or at the barrier, and check the number plate and date are correct.
7. Keep the receipt until the deadline for a charge notice has passed.

How much does a drop-off and pick-up cost for one trip?

For a family driving someone to and from a London airport, the drop-off and the pick-up together cost about £14.50 to £20 per trip, before fuel. At Manchester, the total was about £11.90 in January 2026. Waiting longer for a delayed flight adds more, which is why many travellers compare the total with a fixed taxi fare.

Is it cheaper to park than to use the drop-off zone?

Sometimes, yes: at Gatwick, 30 minutes in the short-stay car park cost £8 in January 2026, less than the £10 for 10 minutes in the drop-off zone. At Heathrow and Stansted, the short-stay car park cost about the same as the drop-off zone but gave you two or three times as long. If you need to help with luggage, check in a relative or say a longer goodbye, the short-stay car park can be better value.

What is the cheapest way to get to the airport?

The cheapest way is a free car park drop-off or public transport; the most convenient is a pre-booked taxi, where no one has to pay a zone charge or find the free car park.

Do taxis and Ubers pay the airport drop-off charge?

Yes. Drop-off charges apply to every vehicle, including taxis, minicabs and app cars, and the cost is usually passed on to the passenger in the fare. With a pre-booked transfer, a fixed quote should show the full price before you pay, so ask whether airport charges are included. Our Uber vs black cab vs minicab guide explains how each type of ride charges in London.

Do airports charge for picking up as well as dropping off?

Yes. At airports that charge, picking up usually costs the same as dropping off, and at several airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester, you cannot pick up at the terminal forecourt at all. For pick-ups, most airports point drivers to the short-stay car park, where you pay by time, or to a free waiting area away from the terminal. Track the flight before leaving home, so you do not pay for time spent waiting for a delayed arrival. A pre-booked driver with meet and greet tracks the flight for you.

What mistakes lead to airport drop-off fines?

Most fines come from forgetting to pay in a camera-controlled zone, staying longer than the time allowed, or waiting in the zone for a delayed arrival.

1. Forgetting to pay because there was no barrier or ticket.
2. Paying for the wrong date or number plate online.
3. Going over the time allowed while unloading bags or saying goodbye.
4. Waiting in the drop-off zone to pick someone up.
5. Assuming a Blue Badge makes the zone free; rules vary by airport.
6. Driving into the zone by mistake when following signs; the cameras still record you.

So what is the best way to drop off at a UK airport?

If someone is driving you, use the free car park drop-off when you have time, and the terminal zone only when you are in a hurry, and pay the same day. If you would rather not ask anyone to drive, pay a charge or watch the clock, a pre-booked taxi takes you to the terminal door at a fixed price. Travelling over the holidays? See our Christmas Day taxi guide.

UK airport drop-off charges: frequently asked questions