UK Airport drop-off charges 2024

With air passengers keen to cut costs as inflation bites, they should be aware of big hikes in drop-off and pick-up fees at UK airport terminals. Here motoring journalist and expert Pete Barden reveals a full list of free and paid options at UK airports such as Manchester, Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and many more.

The charges on this page were updated in June 2023 (look out for old content on other websites that has not been updated).

Motorists dropping passengers of at airports should also be aware that some don't have payment machines to ensure you don't forget to pay, with some, including Gatwick, leaving it up to the motorist to log on to a website and make payment - without any reminders.

In the case of Gatwick, payment must be made by midnight on the day of drop off or pick up. No reminders are sent and the fine penalty charge is £100 reduced to £60 is paid within 14 days.

Drop off zone at an international airport - but what are the charges?Find out how much you will have to pay for airport drop off charges - and avoid big bills  (Credit: Pixabay)

Drop-off charges at UK airports quick guide - updated July 2024

Here we look at prices charged at individual airports across the UK for drivers dropping off or picking up passengers.

This list of charges was updated June 2023.

UK AIRPORT

DROP OFF AND PICK UP CHARGES

Aberdeen Airport Express Drop Off:
£5.50 up to 15 minutes.
Long Stay:
Free for 60 minutes
Belfast City (George Best) Airport

Short Stay Car Park: 
0 - 60 minutes: £5.00
Express Drop-Off  up to 10 minutes: £3.00
10 - 20 minutes: £6.00.
20 - 45 minutes : £18.00

Belfast International Airport Drop off/Pick up Zone:
0 - 10 minutes £3.00
10 - 20 minutes £5.00
20 - 60 minutes £10.00
1 hr - 24 hrs £50.00
Birmingham Airport Birmingham Airport Drop Off
0 - 10 minutes: Free
10 - 15 minutes: £4.00
15 - 20 minutes: £5.00
20 - 25 minutes: £10.00
25 - 30 minutes: £15.00
30 - 35 minutes: £20.00
35 - 40 minutes: £25.00
Bournemouth Airport Pick-up and drop off area
Up to 30 minutes: £5.00
Up to 1 hour: £7.50
Bristol Airport

Express drop off:
Up to 10 minutes: 
£6.00
10 – 20 minutes: £8.00

20 – 40 minutes: £12.00
40 – 60 minutes: £25.00
Waiting Zone car park: up to 1 hour free.
Stopping in any other areas will attract £100 fine

Cardiff Airport Drop off area:
Up to 5 minutes: Free
£3 for every 10 minutes thereafter
Pick up area:
Up to 10 minutes £1
10 - 20 mins - £2.00
20 - 60 mins - £5.00
Long stay: Free for 20 minutes.
Doncaster Sheffield
(Robin Hood)
Doncaster Sheffield Airport has now closed
Durham Tees Airport Drop off:
Up to 10 minutes: £2.50
10 to 60 minutes: £5.00
East Midlands International Airport Rapid drop off
Up to 15 minutes: £5.00 (then £1 per minute after)
Short
stay car park:
Up to 30 minutes: £6.00
Long stay 2:
Free for 1 hour 
-  overstay is charged at £1 per minute thereafter
Edinburgh Airport Drop off Zone: 
Up to 10 minutes: £5.00 - then £1 per minute
Pick up zone:
Up to 10 minutes: £5.00 - then £1 per minute
Long stay:
Free for the first 30 minutes (via bus) 
Exeter Airport Car Park 1: 
Up to 30 minutes: £5.00 for drop off
Car Park 2:
Up to 30 minutes: £5.00 for for pick up
Glasgow Airport Drop off and pick up area:
Up to 10 minutes: £5.50 then £1 per minute 
Pre-registered EV owners no longer get up to 10 minutes free in drop off and pick-up areas
Short stay car park: 
Up to 20 minutes:  £5.00 
Glasgow Prestwick Airport Drop off and pick up area: 
£4.00 for 60 minutes.
Inverness Airport Short Stay Car Park: 
Free for up to 10 minutes
.
Leeds Bradford Airport

0-10 minutes: £6.50
10-20 minutes: £8.50 
20-30 minutes: £12.00
Electric cars free for up to one hour

Liverpool Airport Express Drop off and Pick up:
£5.00 up to 10 minutes - £10 up to 20 minutes
Drop off 2: 
Free up to 20 minutes
London City Airport Free drop off on the forecourt next to the terminal building - vehicles must not be left alone or fines will be issued
Short stay car park: 
£6.90 up to 10 minutes
London Gatwick Airport Drop off zone for both North and South terminals. Charges paid online after using the drop off zone by entering registration number.
£6 for 10 minutes
£1 for each additional minute up to 20 minutes.
Maximum charge of £26 and maximum stay of 30 mins.
London Heathrow Airport Drop off Zone £5
Long stay car park:
Free for 29 minutes
London Luton Airport Mid Stay Car Park: 
Free for 20 minutes
Long Stay:
Free for 60 minutes (bus)
Drop off zone: 
£5.00 for 5 minutes
London Southend Airport Short Stay 1: £5.00 for up to 10 minutes, £8.50  from 10 to 30 minutes.
Long Stay 3: Free for first 15 minutes (in any 24-hour period).
London Stansted Airport Express Set Down
Up to 15 mins : £7.00
Over 15 mins - £25.00
(£30 charge if vehicle re-enters within 60 minutes)

Free drop off:
60 minutes free Mid Stay car park
Manchester Airport Short Stay drop off: 
£5.00 for up to 5 minutes
£6.20 for 10 minutes
Free drop off area Jet Parks 1: 
Free (bus shuttle to terminal)
Pick up:
Outside terminal 1: £6.20 up to 30 minutes.
Newcastle International Airport Short Stay Car Park 1: £7.00 up to 15 minutes
£10 for up to 30 minutes
Short Stay Car Park 2: 
Free up to 15 minutes.
Express Parking: 
£4.00 up to 10 minutes
£7.00 up to 30 minutes
£10.00 up to 45 minutes.
Newquay Cornwall Airport 30 minutes £2.00
Southampton Airport £6.00 for 20 minutes

Airport drop-off charges in-depth guide

Aberdeen Airport

Drivers dropping passengers off at Aberdeen Airport will have the option of £5.50 for 10 minutes in the Express Drop Off or 60 minutes free in the Long Stay car park. Electric cars previously got 15 minutes' free parking at the Express Drop Off point - this scheme closed from May 2024. See table above for more information.

Belfast City (George Best) Airport

Drop off at Belfast City Airport has Express Drop-off for £3.00 for up to 10 minutes. If you need more time, head to the Short Stay Car Park. See table below for more information.

Short Stay Car Park: 
0 - 60 minutes: £5.00
Express Drop-Off  up to 10 minutes: £3.00
10 - 20 minutes: £6.00.
20 - 45 minutes : £18.00

Belfast International Airport

Using a car to set passengers down at Belfast International will cost £3.00 for 0 - 10 minutes. You can have15 minutes absolutely free in the Long Stay Car Park.

Birmingham Airport

Motorists dropping family and friends at Birmingham Airport will benefit from up to 10 minutes free, before charges starting at £4.00 for 10 - 15 minutes kick in. These rise sharply with 45 - 50 minutes costing £35. Get full pricing on the table below.

Duration Tariff
0 - 10 minutes Free
10 - 15 minutes £4.00
15 - 20 minutes £5.00
20 - 25 minutes £10.00
25 - 30 minutes £15.00
30 - 35 minutes £20.00
35 - 40 minutes £25.00
40 - 45 minutes £30.00
45 - 50 minutes £35.00
50 - 55 minutes £40.00
55 minutes - 1 hour £45.00
Each extra 15 minutes thereafter £5.00

Bournemouth Airport

At Bournemouth Airport, drop off costs from £5.00 for 30 minutes. See further details on table above. 

Bristol Airport

The Express Drop off costs £6.00 up to 10 minutes, £8.00 for 10 - 20 minutes, charges for 20 - 40 minutes are £12, with 40 - 60 coming in at £25. The Waiting Zone car park is free for up to 60 minutes - but a bus is needed to the terminal. See links to car parks in table above. 

Cardiff Airport

Drivers get up to 5 minutes free in the drop off area at Cardiff Airport, with £3.00 added for every 10 minutes thereafter. Details of this and pick up charges can be found in the table above. 

Doncaster Sheffield (Robin Hood)

Doncaster Sheffield Airport has now closed. There are efforts in progress to safeguard the site and facilities for a possible reopening in the future.

Durham Tees Airport

Dropping off at Durham Tees Airport will cost £2.50 for up to 10 minutes, then £5.00 for 10 - 60 minutes. See links to airport page on in table above.

East Midlands International Airport

Head to the Rapid Drop Off, where you will pay £5.00 for 15 minutes, increasing by £1.00 per minute thereafter. The Short Stay car park is £6.00 for up to 30 minutes. The Long Stay car park is free for up to 60 minutes - but beware, overstay the one hour and you'll be charged at £1 per minute thereafter. Get more details in the table above.

Edinburgh Airport

The Drop Off Zone is £5.00 for up to 10 minutes, while the Long Stay car park offers free parking for 30 minutes - with transfer to the terminal by bus. Find further details above. 

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Exeter Airport 

Car Park 1 offers up to 30 minutes for £5.00, with the same for pick up in Car Park 2. Links to the airport can be found in the table above.

Glasgow Airport

Drop off charges start at £5.50 for up to 10 minutes. However, the previous scheme allowing EV users to enjoy free drop-off and pick-up has now been discontinued. Short Stay car park offers up to 20 minutes for £5.00. Long-stay parking is free for up to 60 minutes. See the table above for more details. 

Glasgow Prestwick Airport

The drop off and pick up area cost £4.00 for up to 60 minutes for those setting down friends and family. The table above has more information and links to further pricing levels. 

Inverness Airport

If you are dropping off at Inverness Airport, you can enjoy free parking for up to 10 minutes in the Short Stay car park. See above table for more.

Leeds Bradford Airport

Heading to Leeds Bradford Airport to drop passenger off? Dropping off will cost from £6.50 for 0-10 minutes electric car drivers get one hour free. Table above includes links and more price points.

Liverpool Airport

Express Drop off and Pick offer up to 10 minutes' parking for £5.00, jumping to £10.00 for 10 - 20 minutes. Drop off 2 is free for up to 20 minutes. See above for more details and links.

London City Airport

Find free drop off on the forecourt next to the terminal. Short Stay car park offer up to 10 minutes' parking for £6.90. More above in the table.

London Gatwick Airport

The Drop Off zone charges for both the North and South terminals are paid by entering your registration online after your visit - so turn up and drop off, but don't forget to go online and pay afterwards. Charges are £6 for 10 minutes and £1 added for each additional minute up to 20 minutes. A maximum charge of £26 is charged for stays exceeding 30 mins. Unattended cars could be towed away. 

You will not get a reminder or prompt to pay the Gatwick drop off or pick up charge. It must be paid online by midnight on the day, or a penalty charge of £100 could be issued - cut to £60 if paid within 14 days of issue. Link to Gatwick website in table above.

London Heathrow Airport

All terminals have the same  £5 drop off charges. This must be paid by phone or online and there is no option to pay at the airport. The charge must be paid every time a vehicle enters the drop off zone. 

The charge must be paid by midnight on the day after your visit. Failure to pay could mean an £80 penalty, cut to £40 if paid within 14 days.

You can pay the Heathrow drop off charge online here.

This charge does not apply for pick-up, but this must be in the car parks as before. 

London Luton Airport

Drop off charges for Luton Airport as follows. Mid Stay car park free for up to 15 minutes. Long stay is free for up to 60 minutes, also with a bus transfer. The closer Drop off zone is £5.00 for 5 minutes, with £1 per minute thereafter. More info in table above. 

London Southend Airport

Expect to pay up to £5.00 for 10 minutes' parking in Short Stay, with Long Stay 3 free for the first 15 minutes. More information above. 

London Stansted Airport 

Drop off at this airport is £7.00 for up to 15 minutes in the Express Set Down, with more than 15 minutes being charged  at £25.00. There is also a £20.00 charge if a vehicle re-enter the zone within 30 minutes of leaving. The Express Set Down will be closed due to works from 9th of November 2021 from 08:00 – 12:00. The Mid Stay car park is free for up to 60 minutes. See the table above for more. 

Manchester Airport

Dropping off friend and family at Manchester Airport costs £5.00 for up to 5 minutes in the Short stay drop off, rising to £6.20 for up to 10 minutes' parking. The free drop off area accesses the terminals via bus.  More above in the table. 

Newcastle International Airport

Drop off charges in the short stay car 1 park start at £7.00 for up to 15 minutes, increasing to £10.00 for stays of up to 30 minutes, Short Stay 2 offer free parking for up to 15 minutes increasing to £8.00 for stays of up to 30 minutes. Express Parking is £4.00 for 10 minutes and £7.00 for up to 30 minutes. 

Newquay International Airport

Dropping off here will allow you 30 minutes of parking for £2.00. See the table above for more price points. 

Southampton Airport

Setting down passengers at Southampton Airport, will cost £6.00 for 20 minutes' parking in the Express Parking area. More above. 

Is airport drop-off free on Christmas Day?

No. Drivers will need to pay charges where applicable on Christmas Day and across the festive season.

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Author: Pete Barden:

Twitter: @pete_barden

Pete Barden is a qualified journalist who has written and produced for publications including The Sun (thesun.co.uk), New Statesman Media Group, Whatcar? (Whatcar.com) Stuff Magazine (Stuff.tv), Fastcar Magazine (Fastcar.co.uk), Maxim Magazine and UK broadcast stations within the Heart network (Formerly GCAP). Pete specialises in motoring and travel content, along with news and production roles. You can find out more about Pete Barden on LinkedIn.

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