UK airport updates

Luton drop-off zone now £9 for up to 12 minutes

London Luton Airport's official drop-off page now lists the Drop Off and Pick Up Zone at £9 for up to 12 minutes, then £1 per minute (maximum stay 30 minutes), with a £95 enforcement charge for staying longer (£55 if paid within 14 days). ParkMath's previous official reading, on 13 August 2026, was £7 for up to 10 minutes. The free option is still the Long Stay car park, free for up to 2 hours with a bus to the terminal.

Liverpool drop-off rises to £7 (from 1 Sep 2026)

Liverpool John Lennon Airport's official Express Drop Off page states that from 1 September 2026 the initial up-to-10-minutes charge increased to £7.00. ParkMath's previous official reading, on 13 August 2026, was £6. Longer stays cost £10 for up to 20 minutes and £25 for up to an hour.

Exeter P1 drop-off now £8 for up to 15 minutes

Exeter Airport's official car parking page now lists Car Park P1 (the drop-off and pick-up bays opposite the terminal) at £8.00 for up to 15 minutes, £15 for up to an hour and £20 for 1 to 4 hours. ParkMath's previous official reading, on 13 August 2026, was £6 for 15 minutes. Car Park P4 is still free for up to 30 minutes.

Luton drop-off zone: £7 for 10 minutes, ANPR

London Luton Airport's official drop-off page confirms its Drop Off and Pick Up Zone, a 5-minute walk from the terminal, costs £7 for up to 10 minutes, then £1 per minute thereafter (max stay 30 minutes), via a cashless and barrier-free ANPR system paid online by midnight the following day. Free alternative: up to 2 hours free in the Long Stay Car Park.

Stansted Express Set Down goes barrier-free ANPR

London Stansted Airport's official pick-up and drop-off page confirms the Express Set Down area now uses a barrier-free Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system: drivers don't stop to pay and instead pay online (or by phone) by midnight the following day, with a 15-minute allocated period. Non-payment triggers a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. Free drop-off remains available at the Mid Stay car park.

Bristol drop-off fee rises to £8.50 (Jan 2026)

From Monday 5 January 2026, Bristol Airport increased the 'Drop Off & Pick Up' car park fee from £7 to £8.50 for a 10-minute stay, and the 'Short Stay' car park from £7 to £8.50 for 15 minutes (and £9 to £10.50 for 15-30 minutes). Blue Badge holders' extended 40-minute drop-off stay also rises from £7 to £8.50. The airport attributes the change to its business rates bill more than doubling following the autumn budget. A free waiting zone (up to one hour) remains available.

Drop Off & Pick Up (10 min):£7→£8.50

Heathrow terminal drop-off charge is £7 per entry

Heathrow's Terminal Drop-Off Charge (TDOC) is £7 each time a vehicle enters a terminal drop-off zone (forecourt). The charge applies via ANPR cameras and can be pre-paid or paid by midnight the following day; no pick-ups or waiting are permitted in the drop-off areas.

East Midlands drop-off goes barrierless (ANPR)

From 1 May 2025, East Midlands Airport removed the exit barriers at its Rapid Drop Off zone. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras now capture vehicle registrations instead of taking payment on exit, and drivers have until midnight the following day to pay online or by phone. Charges are unchanged at £5 for the first 15 minutes, then £1 per minute up to a 30-minute maximum. Frequent users and taxi drivers can set up an auto-pay account, and the free Long Stay (mid-stay) car park remains as a no-cost alternative.

Edinburgh drop-off fee rises to £8.50 (May 2025)

Edinburgh Airport increased its pick-up and drop-off charge by £2.50, taking it to £8.50, effective 18 May, to help cover an extra £8 million business rates bill (a 142% rise). The free 30-minute drop-off/pick-up area remains available, with more spaces added.

Drop-off / pick-up:£6→£8.50

Manchester drop-off switched to barrierless ANPR

Manchester Airport replaced its barrier-based pick-up and drop-off zones with a barrierless, automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) system that came into operation in late March 2025 on a phased basis. Cameras record vehicles entering the zones and drivers pay the charge by midnight the following day, online or by phone; existing charges were unchanged at launch.

Birmingham drop-off goes barrierless (March 2025)

An official Birmingham Airport update announced that the Drop Off car park (18 March 2025) and Premium Set Down car park (20 March 2025) moved to a barrier-free Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system. Drivers no longer pay at a barrier; payment must be made within 24 hours of exit via Post Pay online, an onsite pay machine, or a pre-registered AutoPay account, or a Parking Notice is issued.