London Airport Drop-Off Charges 2026

In 2026 every London airport charges to drop off at the terminal: £7 at Heathrow, Stansted and Luton, £8 at London City and Southend, and £10 at Gatwick. The charges went up at Heathrow, Gatwick and London City in January 2026, and missing a payment can mean a parking charge of £80 or more. Here’s what each airport charges, how long you get, how to pay, and the free alternatives.

If you’re being dropped off by a friend or family member, this is worth knowing before you set off. If you book a pre-booked taxi with Onward Travel Solutions, the airport fees shown in your quote are already part of the fixed fare, so there’s nothing extra to pay or remember.

Drop-Off Charges at Each London Airport

Airport	Charge	Time allowed	Free alternative
Heathrow	£7 per entry	About 10 minutes	Drop off in a Park & Ride car park and take the bus
Gatwick	£10	About 10 minutes	Long-stay car park with a short free period, then the shuttle
Stansted	£7	About 15 minutes	Mid-stay car park, then the shuttle bus
Luton	£7	About 10 minutes	Long-stay car park, then the shuttle
London City	£8	About 5 minutes	None at the terminal
Southend	£8	About 10 minutes	None at the terminal

Charges and time limits as published in January 2026. Airports change them often, so check the airport’s own website before you travel.

What Changed in 2026

• Gatwick went from £7 to £10, the highest drop-off charge at any London airport.
• Heathrow went from £6 to £7, and the charge applies every time a vehicle enters the drop-off zone, 24 hours a day.
• London City introduced a charge for the first time, having previously been free to drop off.

How to Pay, and What Happens if You Don’t

There are no barriers or ticket machines in the drop-off zones; cameras read your number plate. At Heathrow you pay online, by phone or with autopay, by card only, and the payment has to be made by midnight the day after your visit. Miss it and you’ll get an £80 parking charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days. The other airports work the same way, with their own deadlines and penalties. Setting up autopay is the easiest way to avoid forgetting.

Waiting and Pick-Ups

The drop-off zones are for dropping off only. You can’t wait there or pick someone up. To collect a passenger you’ll need the short-stay car park, which is charged by time and is usually more expensive than the drop-off fee. At Heathrow, for example, pick-ups and waiting aren’t allowed in the drop-off areas at all.

Is a Lift Still Cheaper Than a Taxi?

For a single journey a lift usually still costs less. Once you count the driver’s fuel both ways, the drop-off charge, and a short-stay car park fee on the way home, the gap narrows, especially for an early-morning flight where someone gives up their night’s sleep to drive you. A pre-booked taxi has one fixed price that already includes the airport fees in the quote, and the driver handles the drop-off.

Free Drop-Off Options in More Detail

Four of the six London airports offer a free way to drop off, but each involves a car park and a shuttle bus, which adds time. These are the published free periods as of January 2026:

Airport	Where	Free time	Shuttle to terminal
Heathrow	Park & Ride	Up to 29 minutes	About 10 to 20 minutes
Gatwick	Long-stay car park	Up to 2 hours	About 10 to 12 minutes
Stansted	Mid-stay car park	Up to 1 hour	About 7 minutes
Luton	Long-stay car park	Up to 2 hours	About 10 minutes

The free car parks work best for passengers travelling light who don’t mind the extra time. With children, heavy cases or an early flight, the shuttle bus can add half an hour to the journey, so many people decide the drop-off fee is worth paying, or book a taxi instead.

Tips for Paying Without a Fine

• Set up autopay before you go. Each airport’s website lets you register a number plate and card, so the charge is taken automatically.
• Don’t rely on remembering later. Heathrow’s deadline is midnight the day after your visit, and other airports’ deadlines are similar. After a long drive home, it’s easy to forget.
• Check whose car it is. The parking charge goes to the registered keeper, so if you borrowed a car, make sure the owner knows it needs paying.
• Every entry counts. At Heathrow, going round the loop a second time to find the right door triggers a second charge.
• Blue Badge holders should check the airport’s own website, as arrangements and exemptions vary.

Picking Someone Up From the Airport

The drop-off zones are strictly for dropping off. If you’re collecting someone, you’ll need the short-stay car park, which is charged by time and can easily cost more than the drop-off fee if the flight is delayed. Waiting on the approach roads isn’t allowed at any London airport and is enforced by cameras. Some airports have a free waiting area further out where you can wait until the passenger calls. A pre-booked taxi avoids all of this: the driver tracks the flight, parks, and meets the passenger in arrivals.

What a Pre-Booked Taxi Includes

With Onward Travel Solutions, the fixed fare quoted for an airport journey includes the airport fees shown in the quote. You won’t be asked to pay the drop-off charge on top. For arrivals, your driver tracks the flight and waits for an hour free after landing. Fares to Gatwick, for example, start from £50.74 on our Gatwick page, and every airport page shows its own fixed prices.

Drop-Off Charges at Other UK Airports

London isn’t alone. Most large UK airports now charge to drop off at the terminal, typically between £5 and £8 for a short stop, with Gatwick’s £10 at the top of the range. If you’re flying from a regional airport, check its website before you travel, as the same camera enforcement and penalty charges apply.

Early-Morning Flights

Drop-off charges sting most on early flights. A friend or family member gets up at 3:00am, drives to the airport, pays the drop-off fee, then drives home again. If they’re collecting you a week later, there’s a short-stay car park charge as well. A pre-booked taxi at a fixed fare is often only a little more than the total cost of a lift once fuel and charges are counted, and nobody loses a night’s sleep.

Which London Airport Is Cheapest to Drop Off At?

Heathrow, Stansted and Luton are joint cheapest at £7, though Stansted gives you the longest stop at about 15 minutes. Gatwick is the most expensive at £10. London City and Southend charge £8, and London City allows only about five minutes.

Charges, free periods and deadlines change regularly, usually at the start of a year. Before you travel, check the airport’s own drop-off page for the current figures.

If you’d like a fixed price for your own journey, the booking form on each airport page shows the fare for every vehicle.

Fixed-Fare Taxis to Each Airport

• Heathrow drop-off taxi
• Gatwick drop-off taxi
• Stansted drop-off taxi
• Luton drop-off taxi
• London City Airport taxi
• Southend Airport taxi

Airport Drop-Off Charge FAQs

How much is the Heathrow drop-off charge in 2026?

£7 each time a vehicle enters the terminal drop-off area. It must be paid by midnight the following day.

How much is the Gatwick drop-off charge?

£10 from January 2026, the highest of the London airports.

Is drop-off at London City Airport free?

Not any more. London City introduced an £8 charge in January 2026.

What is the fine for not paying?

At Heathrow it’s an £80 parking charge, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days. Other airports have similar penalties.

Do I pay the drop-off charge in a pre-booked taxi?

With Onward Travel Solutions, no. The airport fees shown in your quote are included in the fixed fare.

Is there a free way to drop off?

At Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton you can use a designated car park with a short free period and take the shuttle bus to the terminal. London City and Southend don’t have a free option at the terminal.

Can I wait in the drop-off zone to pick someone up?

No. Drop-off zones are for dropping off only. Use the short-stay car park or a pre-booked taxi for collections.

Do I get charged twice if I go round again?

At Heathrow, yes. Every entry to the drop-off zone is charged separately.

Sources: Heathrow Airport’s drop-off charge page, and published 2026 comparisons of UK airport drop-off charges. Always check the airport’s own site before travelling.