The research compares the drop-off and pick-up regulations across 24 airports in the UK, including Birmingham Airport and London Gatwick Airport, as well as the fees charged for waiting and parking in the Short-Stay Car Parks.
Of the 24 airports surveyed, six were found to offer free drop-off and pick-up areas directly in front of the airport terminal. Drivers should be aware, however, that a time restriction is imposed at each airport with, for example, Liverpool John Lennon Airport allowing drivers to wait for only five minutes, Blackpool International Airport allowing 10 minutes and Robin Hood Airport allowing 15 minutes.
Glasgow, London Heathrow and Manchester Airports all offer a free drop-off point but do not allow drivers to pick-up passengers for free, charging drivers to wait in the designated areas. Glasgow and Manchester Airports charge drivers £2.00 to wait in the pick-up area for up to 20 minutes and £2.80 for up to 30 minutes, respectively. London Heathrow does not have a pick-up area so drivers must use the Short-Stay Car Park which charges a minimum of £3.50 per 30 minutes.
Some airports, however, charge drivers more to wait in the designated areas than to park in the on-airport car park, with London Stansted charging £2.00 to wait for 10 minutes in the drop-off / pick-up area and only £1.00 for up to two hours in the Mid-Stay Car Park. Customers at Cardiff Airport can park in the Long-Stay Car Park for up to 20 minutes for free, whereas it costs £1.00 to wait for 10 minutes at the drop-off area and £1.00 to wait for 20 minutes in the pick-up area.
With regards to fines, the airports included in the research were found to vary greatly when implementing fines to drivers waiting over the designated period. Drivers found to be 'parking' in the designated drop-off area at Aberdeen Airport will face a £80.00 fine, whereas Edinburgh, Exeter and Newcastle Airports all impose a £100.00 fine for those who exceed the time limit they have pre-paid for.
