Fresh RAC research published this week confirms what regular airport-goers have been feeling for a while: dropping someone off at a UK airport terminal has become significantly more expensive, with charges up by roughly a third compared with last summer.
According to the RAC, 16 of the UK’s 20 busiest airports have raised their “kiss and fly” charges over the past year, with the average cost of using a designated drop-off zone now around £7, up from about £5.30 twelve months ago. London Gatwick currently tops the table as the most expensive, charging £10 for up to 10 minutes — a fee that works out at roughly £1 a minute. Manchester Airport isn’t far behind on a per-minute basis at £5.50 for five minutes, followed by Gatwick’s own £1-a-minute rate, then Edinburgh and Bristol at around 85p a minute.
A handful of airports have held their prices steady for summer 2026, including Liverpool John Lennon, East Midlands, Belfast City and Southampton. But the broader trend is stark: none of the top 10 busiest airports in the EU charge for drop-offs at all, putting UK airports increasingly out of step with the rest of Europe.
For taxi and private hire drivers, these charges are rarely absorbed quietly — they tend to get passed on to passengers, adding another line item to already tight airport-run margins. Drivers are also being reminded that most major airports now require payment by midnight the day after a drop-off, with a missed payment triggering a parking charge notice that can run to £100.
If you’re planning ahead for airport pickups and drop-offs and want to avoid the sting of these charges altogether, it’s worth checking out what DM Airport Transfers can offer for a pre-booked, fixed-price alternative.
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