UK airport drop-off charges, compared
Airports charge for the terminal forecourt, and they all price it differently: some per visit with no time allowance, some per ten minutes, some with a cap. Here is each published charge next to the one number that makes them comparable — the cost per minute — and the free route to the same terminal.
| Airport | Published charge | Per minute | Free route |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heathrow LHR |
£7 per visit | n/a | Yes — see page |
| Gatwick LGW |
£10 / 10 min | £1 | Yes — see page |
| Bristol BRS |
£8.50 / 10 min | £0.85 | Yes — see page |
| Edinburgh EDI |
£8.50 / 10 min | £0.85 | None published |
| East Midlands EMA |
£8 / 10 min | £0.80 | Yes — see page |
| London Southend SEN |
£8 / 10 min | £0.80 | None published |
| London Luton LTN |
£9 / 12 min | £0.75 | Yes — see page |
| London Stansted STN |
£10 / 15 min | £0.67 | Yes — see page |
| Manchester MAN |
£6.50 / 10 min | £0.65 | Yes — see page |
| Belfast International BFS |
£5 / 10 min | £0.50 | None published |
| Aberdeen ABZ |
£7 / 15 min | £0.47 | Yes — see page |
| Glasgow GLA |
£7 / 15 min | £0.47 | None published |
| Birmingham BHX |
£6 / 15 min | n/a | None published |
Sorted by cost per minute, worst first. Per-visit charges have no minute rate to show.
How to use this
- If you are dropping someone at a forecourt, the fee is unavoidable — the question is how long it buys, and whether the free car park plus a shuttle is quicker than paying.
- The penalty for not paying is real and it lands on the driver, not the passenger, usually as a parking charge notice reduced if paid quickly.
- Every figure links to the airport's own page and carries the date it was checked.