Dropping off at Manchester Airport costs £5.50 for up to 5 minutes, £6.50 for up to 10 minutes and £25 for up to 30 minutes, the longest you can stay. The same fees apply outside Terminal 2 and Terminal 3, and you pay online by midnight the day after.
How much is drop-off at Manchester Airport?
The drop-off zones directly outside the terminals charge by time band:
- Up to 5 minutes: £5.50
- Up to 10 minutes: £6.50
- Up to 30 minutes, the maximum stay: £25.00
There is nothing between 10 and 30 minutes. Once you pass 10 minutes you are straight into the £25 band, so the zone only makes sense for a quick goodbye at the kerb.
How do I pay the Manchester Airport drop-off charge?
Online, on Manchester Airport's own website, by 11:59pm the day after your visit. There are no barriers and no pay machines: cameras read your number plate as you drive in, and the clock starts then. Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 are paid the same way, at the same prices.
For a sat-nav, the Terminal 2 drop-off zone is at M90 5PH and the Terminal 3 zone is at M90 1NN.
How to avoid a £100 charge
Miss the payment deadline or stay past the 30-minute maximum and the airport's parking operator issues a £100 Parking Charge Notice, cut to £60 if you pay within 14 days. It traces the registered keeper through DVLA records, so it will find you.
The same £100 applies to anyone who uses a drop-off zone to collect passengers. Collecting at Terminal 2 has its own Express Pick Up zone, which charges £6.60 for up to 15 minutes.
What changed in 2026
The terminal drop-off price rose during 2026: the 5-minute charge went from £5 to £5.50 and the 10-minute charge from £6.40 to £6.50, while the 30-minute cap stayed at £25. Manchester is far from alone: drop-off fees have risen at most large UK airports.
The bigger saving is on parking
Drop-off fees are small change next to parking at Manchester if you leave it to the day. Drive up to the T2 West Multi Storey without a booking and it charges £63.40 for every 24 hours.
Booked ahead with us, eight days of Manchester Airport parking start from £46.28.
Compare Manchester Airport parking prices for your dates and book ahead to lock in the cheapest rate.
Drop-off fees checked against Manchester Airport's pick-up and drop-off page on 22 October 2026. The airport sets its own charges and can change them, so check its site before you travel.
Manchester Airport drop-off: frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to drop off at Manchester Airport?
The terminal drop-off is tiered: £5.50 up to 5 minutes, £6.50 up to 10 minutes, and £25 up to 30 minutes (the maximum). There is no middle band, so past 10 minutes you jump straight to £25.
How much is drop-off at Manchester Terminal 2 (T2)?
The same as Terminal 3. Manchester runs one drop-off tariff across the airport, so T2 costs exactly what T3 costs: £5.50 up to 5 minutes, £6.50 up to 10 minutes, £25 up to 30 minutes. There is no separate T2 price.
What does differ is where you pull in. Each terminal has its own drop-off zone directly outside it, so follow the signs for your terminal rather than the airport's main entrance, and check your terminal on your boarding pass before you set off. Getting it wrong means a loop of the airport, and the tariff counts from the moment you enter the zone.
Is Terminal 1 drop-off still open at Manchester?
No. T1 closed to departing passengers in November 2025. If you are following older directions, a sat-nav entry or a printout that sends you to Terminal 1, it is out of date. Departures now run from T2 and T3 only.
Which terminals have drop-off at Manchester Airport?
Terminal 2 (T2) and Terminal 3 (T3), the terminals currently in use. Terminal 1 closed to departing passengers in November 2025.
How long do I have to pay for Manchester Airport drop-off?
Until 11:59pm the day after your visit. Pay later than that and a £100 charge follows, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.