Following an initial announcement that it was to introduce drop-off charges Gatwick Airport is to introduce the scheme from Monday 8 March. (see BTN 12 October 2020)  initially at the North Terminal.

The charge will be £5 for the first 10min, and £1 for each additional minute up to 20min. The maximum charge will be £25 and the maximum length of stay 30min.

Anyone who does not wish to pay the charge will be able to drop-off or pick-up passengers in the airport’s long-stay car parks with two hours free parking and a free shuttle bus to the terminal.  Alternatively, passengers can arrive by public transport, taking advantage of the significant improvements to train and bus services to the airport in recent years.
 
By encouraging other forms of journey to the airport, the charge will help Gatwick continue to meet its commitment to reduce ‘Kiss and Fly’ – the least sustainable type of journey to the airport as it involves two return car journeys – and may contribute to a reduction in traffic at Gatwick and surrounding local areas.  In 2019 around 15% of airport journeys were ‘Kiss and Fly’.  
 
Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer, said: “It is no secret that the airport is going through the most difficult period in its history and we have little choice but to explore new revenue streams that will us help us recover from the Covid-19 crisis and continue as an important provider of economic prosperity and jobs across the region.

As things stand this now leaves Heathrow as the only major London airport that does not charge for dropping people off, or collecting passengers.

www.gatwickairport.com