Delivery fees have risen at two-thirds of the UK’s major airports since 2019, according to research.
Research by the RAC found that 16 of the 22 airports analyzed have introduced or increased drop-off fees in the past three years.
The motoring services company said drivers will be “shocked” by some of the “rock-top” fares.
Stansted Airport is the most expensive for so-called ‘kiss and fly’ charges, which are usually charged to drop someone off as close to the terminal as possible.
Its initial rate is £7 for up to 15 minutes, an increase of £4 per 10 minutes in 2019, before the COVID pandemic.
A Stansted spokesman said the charge “makes an important contribution to encouraging alternative and more sustainable transport options” and reduces congestion.
It is one of the many airports that offer free options to drop off passengers in medium- or long-stay car parks connected to the terminals by buses.
Eight airports charge £5 to drop off passengers. They include the UK’s two busiest airports – Heathrow and Gatwick, which introduced the charge last year.
The RAC’s head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, said limited public transport options for some airports and concerns about train strikes mean many passengers ask a friend or family member to give them a lift.
He added: “Anyone dropping off a loved one at the terminal this summer will be shocked by some of these high, kiss-and-drop charges.
“Minute for minute and pound for pound, some of these charges could be almost as high as the plane ticket itself.”
He said many airports appear to have raised fares to “partially compensate” for lost revenue during the pandemic.
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Manchester Airport is offering drivers just five minutes to drop passengers off for £5 (up from £3 in 2019), while Liverpool John Lennon Airport has increased its charges from £3 for 20 minutes to £4 £ for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, Bristol Airport has increased its starting fee for 10 minutes from £1 to £5.
In Scotland, dropping passengers off at the three biggest airports isn’t much cheaper.
Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow airports have doubled their charges in the past three years to £4 for 10 minutes.
Birmingham and Belfast International have kept their rates the same since 2019 (£3 for 15 minutes and £1 for 10 minutes respectively), while drivers can still take advantage of the free delivery zones near the entrances to Cardiff, London City and Belfast City terminals. .
Lyes has advised drivers to research the charges before heading to airports and warned them to be aware that many locations use cameras to enforce bans on stopping in certain areas.
A spokesman for industry body the Airport Operators Association said airports provide clear information on parking and drop-off charges to ensure travelers are “well informed about the range of ‘options that suit your needs’.
He added: “Airports that operate drop-in fares directly outside the terminal do so for a number of reasons, including to manage congestion in capacity-constrained areas and to limit the environmental and air quality impacts of travel ‘kiss and fly’.”