As of today, passengers being dropped off at Gatwick Airport must now pay £10, as other UK airports also increase their drop-off fees for the new year.
Britain’s second-busiest airport has become the first in the UK to charge £10 for passenger drop-offs, a 43% increase on the previous £7 fee.
Gatwick’s new charge is now the highest of any UK airport and marks a doubling in price in less than five years.
When the fee was introduced in April 2021, it was £5, rising to £6 in January 2024 and £7 in May 2025.
Passengers can be dropped off without charge in long-stay car parks and catch a free shuttle bus to the terminals, a Gatwick spokesperson said.
Blue badge holders will remain exempt from Gatwick’s drop-off fee.
Also on Tuesday, London City Airport introduced its first drop-off fee of £8.
Heathrow Airport raised its drop-off charge from £6 to £7 on January 1.
Other UK airports currently charging £7 include Stansted, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Southampton.
Here's a full list of airport drop-off fees:
Gatwick Airport - £10
Bristol Airport - £8.50
London City Airport - £8
Southend Airport - £8
Heathrow Airport - £7 (max stay 10 mins)
Leeds Bradford Airport - £7
Luton Airport - £7
Southampton Airport - £7
Stansted Airport - £7
Manchester Airport - £6.40
Birmingham Airport - £6
Bournemouth Airport - £6
Edinburgh Airport - £6
Glasgow Airport - £6
Norwich Airport - £6
Aberdeen Airport - £5.50
East Midlands Airport - £5
Glasgow Prestwick - £4.50
Belfast City Airport - £4
Belfast International - £3
Cardiff Airport - £3
No drop-off fee (free or up to a short time):
Guernsey Airport - Free (up to 30 mins)
Inverness Airport - Free
Isle of Man Airport - Free to drop off
Jersey Airport - Free to drop off
Newquay Airport - Free for up to 10 mins
A spokeswoman for Gatwick Airport said in December: “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.”