London City Airport has confirmed their drop-off fee will rise to £8, approximately €9, from 6 January 2026 for up to five minutes. Additional minutes will cost £1 each up to ten minutes maximum. With 3.5m passengers using the site in 2024 and ANPR cameras monitoring vehicles, officials decided they need to reduce vehicle numbers.
Blue badge holders are given an exemption and licensed black cabs are receiving initial exemption pending consultation.
The airport is among the last among English facilities to implement such fees. Gatwick and Heathrow introduced fees in 2021. Heathrow plans a rise to £7, equivalent to approximately €8, from 1 January 2026. Gatwick expected increase to £10, equivalent to approximately €11, from 6 January 2026. Increases also affect Birmingham, and others in 2025. In Ireland Belfast City also charges for drop-off, as do Scotland’s largest airports.
Drop off charges are unusual on the mainland. Major airports that offer free short stays include Paris CDG, Frankfurt, Munich and Rome Fiumicino. Paris CDG allows ten minutes free, Frankfurt provides similar access. Munich offers five minutes in Kiss&Fly zone. Rome Fiumicino permits fifteen minutes in Kiss&Go areas. Payment details await a website update. Drivers have until midnight the next day to settle the charges.
