Airport accused of “penalising” professionals as £7 charge and strict 10-minute limit introduced from January
Heathrow Airport has come under fire from the UK’s business travel sector after announcing a rise in its terminal drop-off charge to £7 and the introduction of a strict 10-minute stay limit for drop-off areas from 1 January.
The increase — up from the current £6 fee — was quietly disclosed by the airport in a post on X, prompting swift criticism from the Business Travel Association (BTA). The group said the changes would hit companies and travelling professionals already grappling with rising business costs, higher travel taxes and tightening regional connectivity.
Clive Wratten, chief executive of the BTA, condemned the move as “yet another example of rising airport charges hitting the very people who keep our economy moving”.
“Business travellers are being penalised the moment they arrive at the airport,” he said. “There’s next to no justification for this. These charges do nothing to improve the passenger experience or the reliability of access to Heathrow. All it does is raise costs for individuals and businesses already facing higher travel taxes and regional connectivity challenges.”
Heathrow first introduced the drop-off fee in 2021 as part of an effort to manage congestion and replace lost revenue following the pandemic-induced collapse in passenger numbers. But corporate travel groups warn that repeated fee increases risk undermining the airport’s role as the UK’s premier international hub, adding friction to business journeys at a time when economic growth remains fragile.
The airport has not commented beyond confirming the updated fee and new time restriction.