Overview

• Nicola Maher was fined £170 after failing to pay a £5 online drop-off fee at Manchester Airport’s Terminal 2 and received the penalty notice from a debt recovery firm.
• Multiple motorists report no prior warnings, saying barrierless entry and exit led them to assume payment was unnecessary until they were hit with high-value notices.
• Exemptions for blue badge holders apply only to passengers rather than drivers, a nuance that drivers claim is not clearly communicated on site.
• Manchester Airport says its barrierless pick-up and drop-off areas reduce congestion and that prominent signage ensures most passengers pay before the deadline.
• Airport and motoring groups warn that limited public transport options and automated enforcement at seven major UK airports require clearer notices and fairer debt-recovery practices.