Every airport at a glance
Prices for the drop-off zone nearest the terminal, checked on each airport's website on 15 October 2026. Tap an airport for pick-up prices, Blue Badge rules and directions.
| Code | Airport | Terminal drop-off | How you pay | Free option |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABZ | Aberdeen | £7 for 15 minutes | At the exit | Long Stay, 1 hour |
| BHD | Belfast City | £4 for 10 minutes | At the exit | Long Stay, 10 minutes |
| BFS | Belfast International | £5 for 10 minutes | At the exit | Long Stay, 15 minutes |
| BHX | Birmingham | Free for 10 minutes (Drop Off car park) | Machine, or online within 24 hours | First 10 minutes |
| BOH | Bournemouth | £8 for 30 minutes | At the exit | None |
| BRS | Bristol | £8.50 for 10 minutes | At the exit | Waiting Zone, 1 hour |
| CWL | Cardiff | £4.50 for 10 minutes | At the exit | Car Park 2, 20 minutes |
| EMA | East Midlands | £8 for 10 minutes | Online by midnight next day | Long Stay 2, 60 minutes |
| EDI | Edinburgh | £8.50 for 10 minutes | At the exit | Long Stay, 30 minutes |
| EXT | Exeter | £8 for 15 minutes (P1) | At the exit | Car Park P4, 30 minutes |
| LGW | Gatwick | £10 for 10 minutes | Online by midnight next day | Long Stay, 2 hours |
| GLA | Glasgow | £7 for 15 minutes | At the exit | Long Stay, 1 hour |
| LHR | Heathrow | £7 per entry | Online by midnight next day | Park & Ride, free bus |
| LBA | Leeds Bradford | £8 for 10 minutes | At the exit | One Hour Free car park |
| LPL | Liverpool | £7 for 10 minutes | At the exit | None |
| LCY | London City | £8 for 5 minutes | Online by midnight next day | None |
| LTN | Luton | £9 for 12 minutes | Online by midnight next day | Long Stay, 2 hours |
| MAN | Manchester | £5.50 for 5 minutes | Online by midnight next day | JetParks 1, free bus |
| NCL | Newcastle | £6 for 10 minutes | At the exit | Waiting Zone, 90 minutes |
| NQY | Newquay | Free for 10 minutes | At the exit | West Car Park, 10 minutes |
| NWI | Norwich | £8 for 20 minutes | At the exit | None |
| SOU | Southampton | £10 for 20 minutes | At the exit | None |
| STN | Stansted | £10 for 15 minutes | Online by midnight next day | Mid Stay, 1 hour |
Pay later, or pay at the barrier?
At 8 airports there's no barrier: cameras read your number plate and you have to remember to pay afterwards, usually online by midnight the next day (Birmingham also has pay machines in its car park). Forget, and a Parking Charge arrives in the post. Those airports are Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, London City.
Everywhere else you pay at a machine or the exit barrier before you leave.
The free alternatives
18 airports let you drop off or pick up free, usually in a long-stay car park with a shuttle bus. It takes longer, but it can save you a tenner each way. Every free option, airport by airport.
Questions
Which UK airports charge to drop off?
Nearly all of the 23 airports here charge for dropping off close to the terminal. A few give the first minutes free instead, such as Birmingham's Drop Off car park (10 minutes) and Newquay's West Car Park (10 minutes). Heathrow says it was the last major UK airport to bring in a drop-off charge.
What happens if I don't pay an airport drop-off charge?
At airports where cameras read your number plate and you pay later (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Manchester, Birmingham, East Midlands, London City), not paying by the deadline means a Parking Charge sent to the registered keeper, typically £80–£100, reduced if you pay within 14 days. Deadlines and charges for each airport.
Is there a free way to drop off at the airport?
18 of these airports have a free option, usually a long-stay car park with a free period and a shuttle bus. See every free option.
Which airport has the highest drop-off charge?
Going by the entry price for the drop-off zone nearest the terminal, the highest is £10, at Gatwick (£10 for 10 minutes), Stansted (£10 for 15 minutes), Southampton (£10 for 20 minutes). Some airports charge much more if you overstay, so check the full price list for the airport you're using.
Where the prices come from
Every figure on this site comes from the airport's own website, and each airport page links to the exact pages we used. We check them regularly; the date is on every page. Charges change, often more than once a year, so always check the signs on the day.