UK travellers face new £10 airport fee from Tuesday | UK | News
Passengers departing from Gatwick airport will face a new £10 drop-off charge from Tuesday 6 January. Major London airport will increase its fare for the zone from £7 to £10; this is the highest fee of any airport in the UK. It comes after Heathrow’s home drop fare increased from £6 to £7 on New Year’s Day. A Gatwick spokesman said the increase was due to “a range of increased costs, including more than doubling our business rates”.
They added: “The increase in the drop off fee will support wider efforts to encourage greater use of public transport, helping to limit the number of vehicles and reduce congestion at the entrance to our terminals, as well as funding a range of sustainable transport initiatives.” On the same day that Gatwick implements its price increase, the last major airport in the country without a drop-off fee will also impose a fee.
London City will introduce an £8 charge for people arriving by car to Docklands terminal from Tuesday. This charge allows a car to stay for five minutes, then increases the price by £1 per minute for a maximum of 10 minutes.
“This move is part of our commitment to encouraging travel to and from the airport via public and sustainable modes of transport, which two-thirds of our passengers already use,” the airport said in a statement.
With the introduction of the fee, licensed taxis will be exempt from paying £8, while blue badge holders will be completely exempt from the fee.
Transport for London is preparing to consult on a proposal from the airport to officially include the drop-off charge in the taxi meter price.
The following warning was given to drivers: “Do not wait in your vehicle or leave your vehicle unattended in the front area, otherwise penalties will be applied. Traffic is monitored by automatic license plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.”
Rob Burgess, founder of frequent flyer website Head for Points, told The Independent the new charge for local residents was “a very easy charge to avoid”.
He said: “If you leave the car at the corner of Drew Road and Leonard Street you will be right next to the pedestrian tunnel which will take you to the terminal in under a minute.
“Although the tunnel route is easier, you can also get off from the private jet terminal.”
Drop-off charges were introduced following an attempted terrorist attack on a terminal in Glasgow in 2007.
