Overview
- From Tuesday 6 January, Gatwick's 43% increase takes the drop-off charge to £10, the highest in the UK.
- London City introduces its first terminal drop-off fee on the same day at £8 for five minutes, then £1 per additional minute up to a 10-minute limit.
- Bristol raised its drop-off and short-stay minimums to £8.50 on Monday, with other car-park tariffs rising to as much as £10.50 for 15–30 minutes.
- Airports attribute the rises to sharply higher business rates after the chancellor’s budget, with Ryan/VOA data indicating increases such as £11.9m for Gatwick and £35m for Heathrow in 2026–27.
- Operators say the fees also support efforts to cut car drop-offs, with enforcement by ANPR and blue-badge exemptions retained; London City says the charge will be added to taxi fares.