‘Not a decision we have taken lightly’ – London Gatwick drop-off charge to increase to £10

The fee, which allows motorists to drop passengers outside the airport’s terminal for ten minutes, is set to increase by £3 on January 6, 2026.

It is the second time this year drop-off charges have risen at London Gatwick. The airport increased the price of its drop-off zones by £1, bringing the minimum charge to £7, on May 2.

London Gatwick said the increase was ‘not a decision we have taken lightly’, explaining that ‘a number of increasing costs, including a more than doubling of our business rates’ were behind the rise in prices.

They said passengers ‘can still be dropped off for free’ at long-stay car parks and catch a ‘free shuttle bus to the terminal’.

Blue Badge holders ‘remain exempt’ from the charge, the airport confirmed.

A London Gatwick spokesperson said: “London Gatwick’s forecourt charge/drop-off charge will increase to £10 (10 minutes) from 6 January 2026.

“This increase in the drop-off charge is not a decision we have taken lightly; however, we are facing a number of increasing costs, including a more than doubling of our business rates.

“Passengers can still be dropped off for free in our long-stay car parks, with a free shuttle bus to the terminal. Blue Badge holders remain exempt from the charge.

“We also have excellent public transport connectivity at the airport, with passengers able to connect directly with more than 120 train stations, while many local bus routes serve the airport 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“The increase in the drop-off charge will support wider efforts to encourage greater use of public transport, helping limit the number of cars and reduce congestion at the entrance to our terminals, alongside funding a number of sustainable transport initiatives – such as our £1m investment in new and enhanced Metrobus routes in 2025.”