Gatwick Airport drop-off charge branded a 'farewell fee' as cost rises to £10
Drivers dropping off passengers at Gatwick Airport are paying among the highest fees in the country, according to new research from the RAC.
The motoring organisation said the charge for using the airport's closest drop-off area is £10 for 10 minutes – making Gatwick one of the most expensive airports in the UK for a quick passenger drop-off.
The RAC said the charge had increased by £3 compared with last summer, with the airport now tied with London Stansted for the highest initial drop-off fee among the UK's 20 busiest airports.
Gatwick's £10 charge works out at £1 per minute.
The RAC has branded the charges ‘farewell fees’ and said 16 of the UK's 20 busiest airports had increased their drop-off charges since last summer, with the average cost rising by a third.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: "It’s disappointing to see so many airports charging so much for what many regard as a simple act of kindness in dropping off family and friends.
"Having a captive audience should be no excuse for these ‘farewell fees’ – especially when they’re completely at odds with how major airports around the world operate.
"Of course, airports need to manage the limited space they have carefully, but if free, convenient drop-off zones work at so many other international airports then why not here?"
The RAC said none of the ten busiest airports in the European Union charge drivers for drop-offs, while free alternatives are also available at a number of major international airports.
The organisation's research found that Gatwick does offer alternative options for drivers who want to avoid the £10 charge. These include free parking for up to two hours at its Long Stay car parks, with shuttle buses taking passengers to the terminals.
However, the RAC warned drivers to check the rules carefully, as free options can involve longer journeys to the terminal and waiting times.
The issue has also prompted discussion on social media, with one person writing in a local Facebook group: "I thought some of the car parks were fleecing the public but Gatwick Airport really takes the biscuit."
Others pointed to the fact that passengers can be dropped off for free at major airports elsewhere in Europe.
Gatwick has previously defended its charges, saying they are designed to discourage ‘kiss-and-fly’ journeys and encourage passengers to use public transport.
A Gatwick spokesperson said that data showed the charges were ‘influencing passengers to seek alternative options’.
The airport has also said the increase in its drop-off charge was ‘not a decision we have taken lightly’, citing rising costs including a more than doubling of its business rates.
It said: "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."
The RAC has urged drivers to consider free short-term parking alternatives but to check how long they are allowed to stay.
Mr Dennis said: "Those that plan on accompanying their passengers to the terminal and then coming back to their cars will almost certainly outstay the free period, which can end up being extremely costly."
The RAC also warned drivers using airports with barrierless drop-off zones to make sure they understand how and when to pay.
At Gatwick, drivers using the drop-off area are required to pay the charge online or by phone by midnight the following day. Failure to pay can result in a parking charge notice of £100.
The RAC said the UK's 20 busiest airports are now all charging for convenient terminal drop-offs, compared with six airports, including Gatwick and Heathrow, which still offered free drop-offs before the Covid pandemic in 2019.