London City is the last major UK airport to allow passengers to be dropped off and picked up by car free of charge at the terminal. But the airport, in the Docklands area of east London, has exclusively revealed it will bring in a fee “by the end of the year”.
Airport bosses say the drop-off charge is intended to support sustainable transport goals.
In a statement to The Independent, the airport said: “The charge will help London City meet its wider sustainability goals by reducing the number of vehicles travelling to and from the airport, supporting efforts to lower congestion, reduce emissions and improve air quality in the surrounding area.”
Seven out of 10 passengers at London City use public transport to reach the airport.
It has its own stop on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR), and contributed to the cost of a new state-of-the-art fleet of trains for the network.
Only one in 10 passengers arrives by private car. The remaining 20 per cent use cabs, Ubers or other commercial services – which will also be subject to the fee.
Airport bosses have not revealed exactly when the charge will be introduced, nor how much the charge will be. The fee at most airports is £6 or £7. Blue badge holders will be exempt from the new charge.
The RAC’s senior policy officer, Rod Dennis, said: “For drivers, this is an unwelcome watershed moment. It’s enormously disappointing to see the airport introduce a drop-off fee, the last of the UK’s top-20 airports do so.
“Compared to many, London City has excellent public transport connections so arguably most people dropping off are only those that really need to.
“The demise of free airport drop-offs in the UK is in sharp contrast to what’s normal elsewhere in Europe, with RAC analysis earlier this year finding eight of the EU’s top-10 airports by passenger numbers still allowing drivers to say goodbye to friends and loved ones at terminals free of charge."
At airports that already have a drop-off fee in place, there is normally a location on the campus where passengers can be dropped without a charge, then take a shuttle bus or walk to the terminal. But given the constrained space at London City airport, that will not be possible.
Some drivers may instead drop off in nearby residential streets. But a spokesperson for London City said: “The airport’s location and layout mean space is limited and managing vehicle movements safely and efficiently is a key priority.
“There will be a clearly signposted dedicated drop-off area and an enforcement on the rest of the estate to avoid disruption, and we're working very closely with the London Borough of Newham to control illegal parking in the area.”
The Docklands Light Railway has a limited network and many journeys require a change of trains. The Elizabeth line passes within 300 metres of the terminal, but Transport for London decided not to build a station to serve London City airport.
Instead, passengers can travel to Custom House on the Elizabeth line and take a short bus ride on service 300 or 473 to the airport.
All London City’s rival airports in the capital charge a drop-off fee. The last to introduce a charge – Southend airport – went from zero to £7 during the summer.
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