Gatwick Airport now charges £10 for up to 10 minutes in its drop-off zones, up from the previous £7, with an extra £1 for each additional minute up to a maximum of £27 and 30 minutes.
Gatwick, which introduced the drop-off fee in 2021 at £5, raised it to £6 in 2024 and later to £7 later that May before the latest increase took effect.
A spokesman for Gatwick Airport said: “This increase in the drop-off charge is not a decision we have taken lightly.
“However, we are facing a number of increasing costs, including a more than doubling of our business rates.
“The increase in the drop-off charge will support wider efforts to encourage greater use of public transport, helping limit the number of cars and reduce congestion at the entrance to our terminals, alongside funding a number of sustainable transport initiatives.”
Airport users could face penalties if payment is not made by midnight the day after using the zone.
Blue Badge holders are exempt from the charge and passengers can still use the long-stay car park drop-off areas for free and travel to the terminal via shuttle bus.
Other UK airports are also raising or introducing drop-off charges.
London City Airport is introducing a new Drop-off charge, charging £8 for up to five minutes and then £1 per minute with a maximum stay of 10 minutes.
Blue Badge holders can register for 10 minutes of free parking in the drop-off area, and London’s black taxis remain exempt until Tuesday, March 31, 2026.
Meanwhile, Heathrow Airport raised its drop-off fee from £6 to £7 on Friday, January 1.
Several other UK airports, including Stansted, Bristol, Leeds Bradford and Southampton, currently charge £7 for terminal drop-offs.
Airport operators say the charges help manage terminal congestion, encourage use of public transport.
