Gatwick to charge drop-off fee from 8 March
Gatwick Airport has confirmed it will introduce a £5 minimum fee to drop passengers outside the North Terminal from 8 March as it explores new revenue streams amid the financially-crippling pandemic.
The charge will be £5 for 10 minutes, and £1 for each additional minute up to 20 minutes. The maximum charge will be £25 and the maximum length of stay 30 minutes.
The airport, which flagged the scheme last October, will extend the charge to the South Terminal ‘at a later date’.
Only the North Terminal is currently operational.
Gatwick said the initiative will help reduce traffic congestion and emissions and create a ‘vital new revenue stream’.
Anyone not wishing to pay the charge will be able to drop off and pick up passengers in the airport’s long-stay car parks, which have two hours free parking and a free shuttle bus to the terminal.
Chief Commercial Officer Jonathan Pollard said: "It is no secret that the airport is going through the most difficult period in its history and we have little choice but to explore new revenue streams that will us help us recover from the Covid-19 crisis and continue as an important provider of economic prosperity and jobs across the region.
This scheme will also encourage passengers to consider more sustainable transport options, he said.
"We plan to use this charge to build on these services by using a proportion of the revenue raised to support new sustainable transport initiatives, in addition to our ongoing project to build a new £150 million airport train station which is progressing well," Mr Pollard said.
Gatwick has pledged to reduce the number of ‘kiss and fly’ journeys to the airport, which it said is the least sustainable type of journey given that it involves two return cart trips.
In 2019 around 15% of airport journeys were ‘Kiss and Fly’.
Drivers dropping off passengers will be able to pay online.
Blue badge holders will be able to access the forecourt free of charge by registering their details up to three months in advance before arriving at the airport.
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