A MAJOR UK airport has increased its drop-off parking charges from today.
The London hub, which serves over 27 million passengers a year, has hiked the fees by almost 50 per cent.
Stansted Airport is now the second UK airport to set drop-off charges in the double digits, just in time for the Easter break.
From Thursday, March 16, anyone driving to Stansted will pay £10 instead of £7 for express drop-offs of up to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, longer stays of up to 30 minutes will see drivers charged £28, up from £25.
The latest changes make Stansted the second most expensive airport for drop-offs in the country, with London Gatwick taking the top spot with £10 fees for 10-minute stays.
Travellers flying from Stansted can avoid this fee by hopping on a shuttle bus from the Mid Stay Car Park, free of charge.
While Blue Badge holders are typically exempt from these fees at UK airports, those who are required to pay can do so by phone, online, or automatically via an AutoPay account.
Stansted is the latest UK airport to hike its drop off charges, with London Heathrow raising prices from £6 to £7 for a 10-minute stay earlier these year.
In 2025, Edinburgh Airport raised its fee to £6 for a 10-minute stay, with additional charges for longer stays.
Meanwhile, London City Airport introduced a drop-off charge for all vehicles for the first time in January.
The new fees saw drivers paying £8 for up to five minutes, with a £1 per minute additional charge occurring after this, with a maximum stay of 10 minutes.
Passengers shared their frustrations over the latest price hike in the comments section of Stansted Airport’s X post.
“Why is it British airports feel the need to rip customers off?” asked one social media user.
A second person described the new charges as “bloody extortionate”, while another commenter called the airport “absolute thieves”.
