If you have driven anyone to a UK airport in the last year, you will have noticed the price of saying goodbye keeps going up. This is the 2026 list of drop off charges at every airport we carry parking for, fact checked against each airport's official tariff schedule and refreshed each year.
Six UK airports are covered here: Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Leeds Bradford, Luton and Manchester. We focus on these because they are the airports where you can prebook parking through us and skip the forecourt charge entirely.
Drop off charges in 2026 (sorted cheapest first)
| Airport | Headline charge | Window | Region | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Midlands (EMA) | £5 | up to 15 minutes | Midlands | Held in 2026 |
| Birmingham (BHX) | £6 | up to 15 minutes | Midlands | Held in 2026 |
| Manchester (MAN) | £6 | up to 10 minutes | North | Held in 2026 |
| Leeds Bradford (LBA) | £7 | up to 10 minutes | North | Held in 2026 |
| Luton (LTN) | £7 | up to 10 minutes | London | Held in 2026 |
| Bristol (BRS) | £8.50 | up to 10 minutes | South West | Up from £7 in 2026 |
| Heathrow (LHR) | £7 | up to 10 minutes | London | Up from £5 on 1 January 2026 |
| Gatwick (LGW) | £10 | up to 10 minutes | London | Up from £7 on 6 January 2026 |
| Stansted (STN) | £10 | up to 15 minutes | London | Up from £7 on 19 March 2026 |
Click any airport for the full tier breakdown, the free alternative, and how to pay if you used the forecourt.
What changed in 2026
One airport in our coverage moved its headline charge in early 2026:
- Heathrow: £5 to £7 (1 January 2026).
- Bristol: £7 to £8.50 (5 January 2026).
- Gatwick: £7 to £10 (6 January 2026).
- Stansted: £7 to £10 (19 March 2026).
Most other airports held their headline price for the year but adjusted upper tiers or the payment method (Birmingham and Manchester both moved fully to ANPR in 2025; Norwich switched to card only on 1 January 2026).
How to skip the drop off fee entirely
- Use the long stay or mid stay free zone. Every airport in this list has a free or near free alternative within a 3 to 10 minute walk or shuttle. Bristol Silver Zone gives you a free hour. Luton Mid Term gives you two free hours. Manchester JetParks 1 is free 24/7. The walking versions get you to the terminal almost as fast as the forecourt by the time you have queued for the barrier.
- Prebook parking if you are the one flying. Meet and Greet hands the car to a driver at the kerb so you never enter the forecourt. Park and Ride parks the car off airport and shuttles you in. Both options come in cheaper than paying daily forecourt rates if you are travelling more than once a year.
- Set a phone reminder for ANPR airports. Birmingham, East Midlands, Luton and Manchester all use barrier free ANPR. If you forget to pay online by 23:59 the day after the visit, the airport sends an automatic penalty notice that costs significantly more than the original fee.
Compare parking at every airport we cover
- Compare Birmingham parking
- Compare Bristol parking
- Compare East Midlands parking
- Compare Leeds Bradford parking
- Compare Gatwick parking
- Compare Heathrow parking
- Compare Luton parking
- Compare Manchester parking
- Compare Stansted parking
Frequently asked questions
Which airport in this list has the cheapest drop off charge?
East Midlands at £5 for 15 minutes is the cheapest headline rate in our coverage. Manchester offers a £5 5 minute tier if you can drop and go in under five minutes.
Which is the most expensive?
Gatwick and Stansted are tied at the top in 2026, both £10 per visit. Gatwick is £10 for 10 minutes (raised 6 January 2026) with £1 per minute after 20 minutes. Stansted is £10 for 15 minutes (raised 19 March 2026) jumping to £28 for 15 to 30 minute stays. Bristol sits third at £8.50 for 10 minutes (the 10 to 20 minute tier costs £10.50). Heathrow, Luton and Leeds Bradford all charge £7 for 10 minutes.
Why have UK airports kept raising drop off charges?
Airports cite congestion management as the reason. The practical effect is revenue. Most airports also have a free or near free alternative within walking or shuttle distance, which gives them an easy public answer to anyone complaining about the headline price.
What is barrier free ANPR and which airports use it?
Automatic Number Plate Recognition reads your registration on entry and exit, so there is no barrier and nothing to swipe. You pay online or by phone before midnight the day after the visit. Birmingham, East Midlands, Luton and Manchester all use this system. Miss the payment deadline and the airport issues a penalty notice automatically.
Is it cheaper to prebook parking than to keep paying drop off fees?
For a regular traveller, almost always yes. Prebooked Park and Ride at most of these airports comes in at £4 to £8 per day with free transfer, and the shuttle handles the kerb side dropoff for you. If you fly two or three times a year, prebooking will save you more than enough to cover the parking itself.
This guide is fact checked against each airport's official tariff schedule. Last verified May 2026.