Airport Drop-Off Fees

End Double Taxation

Quash the Unfair Airport Drop-Off Fees: A Call for Reform

By the Consumer Protection Bureau (CPB) | September 2025

Across the UK, drivers are being forced to pay yet another unjust charge: airport drop-off fees. These government-backed schemes allow airports to demand payment from drivers who do nothing more than stop for a few minutes to let passengers out.

Let's be clear : This is not only unfair — it is double taxation.

The Triple Burden on Consumers
  • ⬥ Passengers already pay air passenger duty through their tickets.
  • ⬥ Drivers already pay road tax, fuel duty, and insurance premiums.
  • ⬥ Adding a drop-off fee on top of this amounts to charging twice for the same journey.

Many European countries manage airport traffic without penalising drivers in this way. Why should UK consumers face higher costs for less fairness?

The Human Cost: Chris T.'s Case

This week, the Consumer Protection Bureau (CPB) received a complaint that highlights how broken this system is.

A Case of System Failure

On 7 August 2025, Chris T. dropped off a passenger at Heathrow Terminal 3. He did the right thing, going online the same day to pay the £6 charge, and even received a payment reference number.

Despite this, Chris later received a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) from APCOA — the private company managing Heathrow's drop-off scheme.

Failed Resolution Attempts
  • ⬥ APCOA's helpline was automated and only set up to take payments.
  • ⬥ Emails went unanswered, breaching their own response deadlines.
  • ⬥ His enquiry was eventually marked "closed" without explanation — while the fine escalated.

A consumer who followed the rules was still penalised. This is not enforcement — it is entrapment.

Legal Pressure is Mounting

Airport drop-off charges are not just unfair — their legality is already under question.

Bristol Airport Challenge

A solicitor has argued that £100 "no-stopping" penalties issued by contractors may be unenforceable under the Airports Act 1986. The Act requires byelaw breaches to be pursued in the magistrates' court, not by private invoices. A Guardian Money case showed a driver fined £170 after stopping at a temporary traffic light — a blatant injustice.

Heathrow's Legal Retreat

A senior barrister, Edward Levey KC, challenged a drop-off fine. APCOA dropped the case before it reached court, avoiding scrutiny of the scheme's legal footing. Which? reports that the legal basis for these charges has been challenged — but never tested in full court.

Contractual Questions

Tribunal rulings such as Vehicle Control Services v HMRC [2012] confirm that private "fines" are not statutory penalties but contractual charges. That means they must be transparent and proportionate — a standard many airport schemes fail.

The bottom line? These charges sit on shaky legal ground and are already facing scrutiny from both lawyers and the public.

A National Scandal

Key Issues
  • Drivers and passengers are being double-taxed.
  • Private companies profit from system errors and opaque processes.
  • The legal foundation of these schemes is uncertain.

The CPB Demands Action

Our Call for Reform
  • An urgent government review of airport drop-off fees.
  • Transparency from operators like APCOA about their systems and enforcement.
  • A suspension of unfair penalties until a court rules on their legality.

Fair travel begins at the very first step of the journey — the drop-off zone. Until these charges are quashed, UK consumers remain trapped in a system that is unjust, exploitative, and legally dubious.

It's time to stop double taxation. Scrap airport drop-off fees now.