UK’s four largest airports make £2m daily from parking with drop-off charges soaring

Aviation hubs are set to match NCP earnings as drop-off fares fly

Passengers departing Manchester and Stansted were charged £6.04 on average (Getty Images)

As summer holidays travel tentatively takes off, travellers planning to leave their car at the airport should factor the steep price of parking into their holiday budget.

According to The Times, Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Stansted airports generated £673 million in car park revenues last year.

An analysis of corporate filings revealed the four largest airports in the UK made around £2 million per day from parking charges – almost matching the income of NCP, the UK’s largest parking provider.

That’s a 51 per cent increase from 2019 earnings before the pandemic, reports the publication.

Between March 2023 and March 2024, Manchester and Stansted took on average £6.04 from each traveller taking off from their terminals.

“Kiss and fly” airport charges, the departure tax for dropping someone off close to a terminal, are often paid for convenience in place of public transport routes such as the Heathrow Express and new Elizabeth Line stops.

London Ulez charges could also mean an additional £12.50 cost for cars that do not meet the minimum emissions standard.

Research from the RAC last week showed that more than a third of major airports have raised drop-off fees for drivers in the past year.

The four which have increased fees by £1 are Gatwick (which now charges £6 for 10 minutes), Edinburgh (£5 for 10 minutes), Birmingham (£5 for 15 minutes) and Bristol (£6 for 10 minutes).

Three others – Glasgow, Leeds Bradford and Aberdeen – have raised their prices by 50p.

RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said: “It’s depressing, if perhaps unsurprising given what’s happened in the past, to see seven airports have hiked their drop-off charges once again this year.

“To have to pay £5, £6 or even £7 for the briefest of stops to simply open the boot and take some luggage out for a friend or loved one is bordering on the ridiculous.”

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