Anger at Gatwick Airport drop-off fee hike

An increase in the drop-off charge at Gatwick Airport has been criticised as "another blow to the pocket" for travellers.

The fee, which allows drivers to stop outside the terminal for 10 minutes, was hiked to £10 on Tuesday.

Gatwick Airport said it had not taken the decision lightly, however it faces a number of increasing costs, including a more than doubling of business rates.

Travel writer Andy Mossack described the hike as a "money-making exercise".

"Poor old passengers and drivers are getting another blow to the pocket," he told BBC Radio Surrey.

"It is disgraceful."

A drop-off fee of £5 was introduced at Gatwick - Europe's busiest single-runway airport - in March 2021.

That was increased to £6 in 2024, which rose again to £7 in May.

There are no drop-off fees at nine of the 10 busiest airports in the European Union.

A London Gatwick spokesperson said passengers can still be dropped off without charge at its long-stay car parks, with a free shuttle bus to the terminal.

The West Sussex airport has "excellent" train and bus links, they added.

"The increase in the drop-off charge will... encourage greater use of public transport, helping limit the number of cars and reduce congestion at the entrance to our terminals," the spokesperson said.

But Lisa Francesca Nand, who presents The Big Travel Podcast, said using public transport was not feasible for some.

Trains were "expensive" and often did not run services early enough to catch morning flights, she continued.

"It's the principle," Nand told BBC Radio Surrey. "That's what people object to."

Gatwick said it recognised early-morning connectivity could be "challenging" from some locations.

The airport spokesperson added they were working with train operators and local transport providers to improve services.

Nadeem Mehmood, a taxi driver, called the fee hike - which would have to be added onto fares - "very bad" for trade.

"We have lost lots of business because of this," he told BBC Radio Sussex.

"It's too expensive."

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