The motoring organisation found that 11 airports have increased their prices since last year. Belfast City’s rise is the steepest, with charges going up by a third (now £4 for 10 minutes, up from £3 last year), followed by Newcastle (now £5 for 10 minutes, up from £4 last year).
London Heathrow, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Liverpool all upped their drop-off fees by £1, or 20%, and now charge £6 for between 10 and 20 minutes, up from £5 last year.
The remaining five airports that put their prices up are London Gatwick, Stansted, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Southampton, which now all charge the top rate of £7 for dropping off, and Glasgow, which increased its fee by 50p to £6 for 15 minutes.
On a cost-per-minute basis, the most expensive airports are London Luton and Manchester, where drivers have to fork out £5 to stop for just five minutes.
Cardiff Airport introduced drop-off fees this year for the first time (£3 for 10 minutes). This leaves London City as the only top 20 UK airport that still offers drivers a free drop-off close to the terminal.
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The RAC found that the demise of free drop-offs at UK airports is in sharp contrast to other major airports elsewhere in Europe. The RAC’s analysis of the top 10 in the EU by passenger numbers found eight – including Paris Charles de Gaulle, Madrid, Barcelona, Frankfurt and Rome – still offer free drop-offs.
Rod Dennis, the RAC’s senior policy officer, said: “The sky really does seem to be the limit when it comes to the amount drivers get charged for making the briefest of stops to let friends or loved ones out to catch a flight. The seemingly annual ritual of many airports hiking the cost of drop-offs is unfortunately continuing unabated.
“Airports understandably need to manage the often-limited on-site space they have. We also know some still offer short stay free parking, but the problem is it’s often well away from the terminal. If a driver wants to help a passenger with mobility issues or a lot of bags get to the terminal, they’ll often end up overstaying the ‘free’ period offered and getting charged.
“Drivers also need to be aware of the growing trend of airports dispensing with on-site payment in favour of introducing barrierless drop-offs that require payment online or by phone later. This is another source of frustration for people who in many cases are just trying to help a family member or friend get to the airport. Anyone who doesn’t notice the change or simply forgets to pay will inevitably be stung with a very unwelcome parking charge notice.”
