Market News

DRIVERS will have to pay to drop off passengers directly outside a Gatwick terminal from today.

People dropping off travellers will pay £5 to access the airports North Terminal forecourt.

The charge is being introduced as a new revenue stream to help the airport recover from the impact of the pandemic.

Visitors will have to pay £5 for 10 minutes, and £1 for each additional minute up to 20 minutes. The maximum charge will be £25 and the maximum length of stay 30 mins.

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, Gatwick Airport, said: “We recognise that a drop off charge is never going to be popular with some people.

"However given that we have just announced losses of £465 million and a reduction of more than 40 per cent of our workforce in 2020, we have little choice but to explore new revenue streams to help us protect the remaining jobs.

“Equally, as we consider how to rebuild better, we hope this new scheme will also encourage passengers to consider more sustainable journeys to the airport, including using our excellent public transport facilities.

"A proportion of the revenue raised through the drop off charge will be used to support new sustainable transport initiatives, in addition to the investment in our new £150 million airport train station which is progressing well.”

Anyone who does not wish to pay the charge will be able to drop off or pick up passengers in the airport’s long-stay car parks with two hours free parking and a free shuttle bus to the terminal.

Alternatively, passengers can arrive by public transport.

A charge will be introduced for the South Terminal on April 12.

People living within a limited number of postcode sectors close to the airport with no public transport access will be allowed two visits per day to use the train station for £50 a year.

The postcodes are RH6 0, RH6 9 and RH11 0.

A red route system is also being introduced across the airport campus to indicate that stopping to park, load or unload board or alight from a vehicle is prohibited.