As the holiday season begins, travelers focus on packaging, passports and ensuring excellent exchange rates. However, while trying to get the best value for money, only a few expect a quick drop-off at the terminal to cost about the same as a short-distance flight. That's now a reality at Aberdeen Airport, quietly increasing the short-term parking fee a few weeks before the peak of the holiday season.
Travelers who drop off friends and family will pay £7 for just 20 minutes at Aberdeen's Terminal Forecourt. A hike that is roughly lined up at London's Heathrow, which charges £8 at Glasgow Airport and offers up to 29 minutes of parking.
Aberdeen is also catching up to rival Edinburgh Airport. Edinburgh Airport charges £7 for just 15 minutes to anyone park their car in the short stay section of the car park. Elsewhere in Scotland, Inverness Airport is free for up to 15 minutes, while Prestwick Airport charges £4.50 for up to 60 minutes.
The new rates will roughly equal drop-off fees at Scotland Airport and short-term parking fees for the first time.
On Friday, Gatwick Airport increased the price of its drop-off zone by £1, bringing its lowest bill to £7. In January 2024, prices skyrocketed from £5 to £6. A Gatwick spokesperson said the charges will help limit the number of vehicles, reduce congestion at terminal entrances and reduce funded sustainable transportation initiatives.
A Gatwick spokesperson said the increase “serves a role to encourage more passengers and staff to use public transport to arrive at the airport, aiming to reach 60% of the journey to zero or ultra-low emissions between the airport by 2030.”
However, public transport may not be the right option for many Aberdeenshire residents, where bus routes to the airport can take longer than the flight itself.
The decision at Aberdeen Airport has been criticized by Alexander Burnett's Aberdeenshire West Scottish conservative MSP, who considers such accusations to be a barrier, especially if public transport is not working.
He states:
“Currently, the price increase means that Aberdeen's bill is almost the same as Heathrow, which is unacceptable. People are now worried about their trip from Aberdeen twice and going to Edinburgh or Glasgow instead.”
