Heathrow Airport to lift terminal drop-off charge to £7 in 2026 as industry questions impact on drivers
- Perry Richardson
- 16 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Heathrow Airport will raise its Terminal Drop-Off Charge to £7 per visit from 1 January 2026 and introduce a maximum stay of 10 minutes across all forecourt drop-off areas.
The adjustment increases the cost of each set-down by a further pound and formalises a time limit that drivers will now have to comply with on every approach to the terminals.
The move puts Heathrow at the top end of UK airport charging, aligning it with Gatwick and Stansted where £7 entry fees have become standard for express forecourt use. Manchester continues to charge slightly less, typically around £5 for the first five minutes, but its rates escalate sharply for overstays.
Although charging for terminal access is now common across major UK airports, Heathrow’s decision to lift its fee puts more pressure on taxi and private hire drivers.
Airport introduces higher fee and 10 minute cap from January 2026, placing added pressure on taxi and private hire operations
For the taxi trade, the change increases the outlay on every job, with the passenger ultimately footing the bill. Licensed taxis and private hire vehicles must pay the charge on each terminal entry, but the the fee is likely to be added to metered fare or pre-booked price. Most private hire operators are expected to pass the higher fee directly to passengers, raising Heathrow-related fares and potentially influencing customer behaviour during peak travel periods.
The new 10 minute cap introduces further constraints. Taxi drivers might argue that some passengers with luggage, mobility needs or young families sometimes require extra time at the kerbside, making a strict cut-off difficult to manage. Any overstay risks additional charges or enforcement action. Drivers also report congested approaches into terminal forecourts at peak times which can also chip away at the time available to disembark passengers.
Heathrow has previously argued that drop-off fees help manage congestion and support environmental goals by encouraging public transport use. While those aims align with policy shifts seen at other airports, the taxi industry has long warned that such charges disproportionately affect drivers whose access to terminal forecourts is central to their business model.
