From January 6, 2026, Gatwick Airport will increase its passenger drop-off charge to £10, a rise of 43 per cent from the current £7 fee. The airport has attributed the hike to an increase in business rates introduced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, which it says has added significantly to operating costs. This change makes Gatwick the most expensive UK airport for drop-offs, surpassing other major airports by £3.
A Gatwick spokeswoman said: “This increase in the drop-off charge is not a decision we have taken lightly. However, we are facing a number of increasing costs, including a more than doubling of our business rates. The increase in the drop-off charge will support wider efforts to encourage greater use of public transport, helping limit the number of cars and reduce congestion at the entrance to our terminals, alongside funding a number of sustainable transport initiatives.”
Passengers can still avoid the fee by using long-stay car parks and catching a free shuttle bus to the terminals. Blue badge holders remain exempt from the charge. The increase is also expected to be passed on in taxi and minicab fares. Gatwick first introduced a drop-off fee of £5 in March 2021.
Airports across England and Wales are among those facing the steepest rises in business rates next April. Gatwick is set for an £11.9 million increase, bringing its total bill to £51.6 million for 2026-27, according to Valuation Office Agency data analysed by tax firm Ryan. Heathrow faces an even larger increase of £35 million, capped at 30 per cent for the first year.
Rod Dennis, senior policy officer at the RAC, said: “A more than 40 per cent increase in the cost to drop-off is the largest we’ve ever seen and represents a doubling of the fee first introduced in 2021. It means the airport will have the unenviable record of being the most expensive for anyone dropping off by car by a whole £3. Drivers tell us the main reason they use drop-off facilities at airports is to help people with bulky or heavy luggage – something that can be incredibly impractical on public transport, especially if elderly relatives or young children are in tow. Sadly, it looks like drivers are going to have to get used to coughing up increasingly exorbitant sums for doing so.”
Drop-off charges are still relatively rare at major European airports. Other UK airports currently charging £7 include Stansted, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Southampton. Heathrow will raise its price from £6 to £7 on January 1, while London City, previously the last major airport without a drop-off fee, is set to introduce one later this month.
