Manchester Airport has defended its drop-off charges after the UK government confirmed it will review fees. The airport currently charges £5.50 for a five-minute drop-off and £6.50 for a 10-minute drop-off.
Government Review Announced
The government announced a review into airport drop-off charges this week. It followed RAC analysis finding that more than three quarters of UK airports had raised or introduced drop-off fees for drivers between this summer and last.
The motoring services company analysed 20 airports, with 16 found to have increased so-called “kiss and fly” charges since last summer. These are typically levied for dropping off a passenger as close to a terminal as possible.
Airport's Defence
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: "The aviation minister has just this week committed to launch a review of drop-off charges at UK airports – because it is vital to ensure travel remains accessible and that passengers are treated fairly. In the meantime, we hope airports exercise restraint on rises, particularly where there are limited public transport alternatives."
The extent of the review is yet to be confirmed, but it is thought it could cover factors such as affordability, accessibility, how airports use revenue from drop-off charges, and the extent to which the charges encourage passengers to use public transport.
Manchester Airport states its £5.50 charge is lower than any comparably sized UK airport, and that most airports don’t offer a five-minute option, giving passengers greater flexibility. According to RAC analysis of drop-off charges at the top 20 UK airports published this summer, London City is the only other airport offering a five-minute drop-off, with an £8 charge.
The airport also highlighted that the £6.50 charge for 10 minutes is cheaper than other airports of a similar size. RAC data shows a 10-minute drop-off at London Gatwick is £10, at Edinburgh and Bristol it’s £8.50, and at Leeds Bradford it’s £8. Newcastle and Liverpool John Lennon both charge £6, while Belfast International charges £5, Cardiff charges £4.50, and Belfast City charges £4.
Airport Statement
A Manchester Airport spokesperson said: "Charges for our forecourt drop-off areas are the simplest and most effective way for us to control traffic flow on the airport site.
"We charge a base rate of £5.50 for five minutes for drop-off, which is lower than any comparably sized UK airport. Most don’t even offer a five-minute option but we know the majority of people take an average of around three minutes to drop off so this means they can come and drop off and not pay for time they aren’t using.
“We then charge £6.50 for 10 minutes – which is still cheaper than comparably sized airports charge for 10-minute stays. Alongside the paid drop-off area on our forecourts, we also offer a free drop-off service from our JetParks 1 car park served by a shuttle bus every few minutes, with the bus transfer to the terminal only taking around five minutes, and we'd strongly encourage passengers to make full use of that."
