Heathrow Airport will start fining drivers £80 if they spend too long saying their goodbyes at drop-off zones under new plans aimed at pushing more travellers onto public transport.
From January, the drop-off charge will jump from £6 to £7 – with the maximum amount of time allowed in the zone capped to just 10 minutes.
Motorists who spend any longer will be slapped with an £80 fine, halved if paid within two weeks.
The move marks yet another rise in the so-called “kiss and fly” charges which have been creeping up over the past few years.
In 2021, Heathrow introduced the drop-off charge after the COVID-19 pandemic cost the airport hundreds of millions of pounds in non-existent flights.
When it was introduced, the charge was £5, rising to £6 at the beginning of this year.
There had previously been no limit on how long a car could be in the drop-off zone, unlike other airport across the country.
Parking charges generated £91million for Heathrow in the first half of the year, a small rise on the £90million recorded during the same period in 2024.
From January, the drop-off charge will jump from £6 to £7
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The airport has stressed that just a small amount of drivers will be impacted, claiming that 95 per cent of visitors to the drop-off zone leave within 10 minutes.
RAC motoring expert Rod Dennis said: “A further hike to the fee for drivers dropping off at Heathrow and the threat of an £80 fine for staying for more than ten minutes will be met with dismay by drivers.
“Heathrow has relatively good public transport links compared to many other airports, so people dropping off by car are most likely to be doing so because they have to.
“While Heathrow understandably needs to manage its limited on-site space, ten minutes is very little time for drivers to help passengers with mobility issues or a lot of bags get to the terminal.
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Heathrow introduced the drop-off charge after the COVID-19 pandemic cost the airport hundreds of millions of pounds
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“In many cases, drivers aren’t intentionally overstaying, they’re just trying to help a family member or friend catch their flight.”
The airport has insisted the drop-off fee are part of the travel hub’s plans to “enable investment in more bus, rail and sustainable transport initiatives and to encourage passengers to consider options for travel that have a lower environmental impact”.
Last year, more than half (55 per cent) of passengers travelled to Heathrow by public transport.
Around 29 per cent reached the travel hub by taxi and fewer than a quarter (23 per cent) arrived by private car.
Last year, more than half (55 per cent) of passengers travelled to Heathrow by public transport
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A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said: “We have introduced a ten-minute maximum stay to smooth traffic flow and reduce congestion.
“This change brings Heathrow’s Terminal drop-off charge in line with other major UK airports and plays a key role in our sustainability strategy.
“It helps reduce congestion, encourages public transport use, and ensures our forecourts are used for their intended purpose.
“Free drop-off and pick-up options remain available for all terminals at all our Park and Ride car parks.”