Birmingham Airport among most expensive for dropping off passengers - and new figures reveal price has gone up again
More than half of UK airports raised or introduced drop-off fees for drivers in the past year, while most of the busiest EU airports still have no charge, according to new research.
Eleven out of 20 UK airports analysed by the RAC, including Birmingham Airport, have increased so-called "kiss and fly" charges - which are typically levied for dropping off a passenger as close to a terminal as possible - since last summer.
The nine airports which raised their fees by £1 are Birmingham, Belfast City, Bristol , Edinburgh , Gatwick , Heathrow , Liverpool John Lennon, Newcastle and Southampton.
Leeds Bradford and Glasgow both added 50p to their charges. Cardiff, which previously had no charge, introduced a £3 fee.
Luton had no kiss and fly area last summer because of a car park fire, but now charges £5.
The situation is very different at major airports in Europe.
The RAC found there is no fee for dropping off at eight of the 10 busiest EU airports, such as Paris Charles de Gaulle , Frankfurt and Madrid airports.
RAC senior policy officer Rod Dennis said this makes increases in fees at UK airports "all the more depressing".
He went on: "The sky really does seem to be the limit when it comes to the amount drivers get charged for making the briefest of stops to let friends or loved ones out to catch a flight."
Mr Dennis said the main reason passengers get dropped off at airports is because they have bulky luggage, which means taking public transport "can be impractical".
He acknowledged that many UK airports offer free options for dropping passengers off in car parks which require a walk or bus ride to the terminal.
But he claimed these areas are "often well away from the terminal" and drivers wanting to help a passenger get to the terminal will "often end up overstaying the free period".
Mr Dennis also expressed concern over the growing trend of airports replacing on-site payment with a barrierless system requiring payment to be made online or by phone.
"Anyone who doesn't notice the change or simply forgets to pay will inevitably be stung with a very unwelcome parking charge notice," he added.
London City was the only UK airport analysed which allows free drop-offs outside its terminal. Prices were frozen at Aberdeen , Belfast International , Bournemouth , East Midlands , Manchester and Stansted .
At Birmingham, those dropping off or picking up passengers and who want to spend some time with their oved-one are directed to one of the multi-storey car parks on the site.
Charges there are around £9 for an hour, rising to £19 once 60 minutes has passed.
Birmingham Airport recently revealed it has marked the start of its summer season with its busiest June ever.
A record 1,360,957 passengers travelled through the airport in the month of June, according to latest figures released by the airport.
The figure was bolstered by the beginning of the summer season and the introduction of new and returning summer routes to destinations including Gibraltar, Poros and Samos.
Birmingham Airport bosses say BHX remains on track to experience its busiest year ever - with nearly 14 million passengers forecast to travel through in 2025/26.
Ahead of the expected significant growth, the airport announced its largest capital investment plan ever in May, totalling £76.5 million over the next 12 months.
The plan equates to £1.5 million being invested in improvements around the airport every week to enhance customer experience and boost operational efficiency.
Following the easing of security regulations last month, the airport has also announced that passengers will now be permitted to travel with liquids in containers of up to two litres thanks to the implementation of next-generation security scanners. It and Edinburgh airports are the only ones in the country that have the new security arrangements for liquids, allowing passengers to flow through security more efficiently.
PAYING TO DROP OFF:
Here is a breakdown of charges for each airport:
£7: Bristol, Gatwick, Leeds Bradford, Southampton and Stansted.
£6: Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heathrow and Liverpool John Lennon.
£5.50: Aberdeen.
£5: Bournemouth, East Midlands, Luton, Manchester and Newcastle.
£4: Belfast City.
£3: Belfast International and Cardiff.
£0: London City.
