Busiest UK airports raise kiss-and-fly fees

More than half of Britain’s busiest airports have raised “kiss-and-fly” fees for cars dropping off passengers close to terminals, according to research from the RAC.

The motoring group found 11 out of 20 UK airports had put up prices since last July, with Gatwick, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Southampton joining Stansted in charging the top rate of £7 to park for a matter of minutes.

In contrast, at nine of the 10 busiest airports in the European Union there are no drop-off fees.

Airports UK, which represents the industry, said all hubs offer free drop-off options further from the terminals, such as “park and ride” facilities where people can leave their car and take a bus to the airport.

London Heathrow, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Liverpool all raised their prices by £1 to £6 for between 10 and 20 minutes.

The RAC also found that Cardiff airport had introduced a fee for the first time, asking £3 for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, London Luton and Manchester airports are the most expensive on a cost-per-minute basis, the research showed, with drivers paying £5 to stop for five minutes.

Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at the RAC, said: “Drivers are a captive audience and that’s why we think airports are so keen on these sorts of fees. But honestly, £7 for a stop that could be no more than 10 minutes does seem a little steep.

“And the fact that these costs keep going up year after year I think is going to be a huge source of frustration for anyone dropping off a friend or loved one this summer.”

In the RAC’s survey of European airports, hubs including Frankfurt and Paris Charles de Gaulle charged nothing. Only Schipol in the Netherlands asked for €2.50 (£2.17) to kiss-and-fly.

Karen Dee, chief executive of Airports UK, said: “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.

“These charges are a part of the airport business model and help enable the provision of the widest variety of flights from the airport.”

London City airport was the only one on the list which charges no fee.

A spokesperson for Gatwick, said: “The drop off charge helps to limit the number of cars and reduces congestion at the entrance to our terminals and funds a number of sustainable transport initiatives.”

It added that holders of a Blue Badge, which is a parking permit for people with disabilities or health conditions affecting mobility, remain exempt from the charge.

Belfast and Southampton also said Blue Badge holders remain exempt from the fees.

On lifting its kiss-and-fly prices, a spokesperson for Southampton, said: “All of the funds generated through our parking facility are reinvested into the airport and play an important role in securing new routes for the region.”

The BBC has contacted other airports for comment.