Overview
- London City Airport will charge £8 from 6 January 2026 for up to five minutes, then £1 per minute to a 10‑minute cap, with blue‑badge holders and initially licensed taxis exempt.
- Heathrow lifted its terminal drop‑off fee to £7 on 1 January, and Gatwick will raise its charge to £10 on the same day London City’s levy begins.
- Bristol Airport will increase its drop‑off tariff to £8.50 for 10 minutes from 5 January, citing sharply higher business rates and recent investment in a new public transport interchange, while keeping a free one‑hour waiting zone with shuttle buses.
- Manchester Airport says it will not reinstate free terminal drop‑offs, operating a barrierless ANPR system that requires online payment by midnight the next day with £100 fines for non‑payment, and it continues to offer a free drop‑off via the JetParks1 shuttle.
- Airports highlight ANPR enforcement and warn against waiting on forecourts, as critics including taxi representatives and business travel leaders argue the rising charges burden passengers who lack viable early‑hour public transport options.