Airport relies on £8 drop-off fees, says boss

An airport boss said a government review into drop-off charges came at a time when it was relying on revenue streams to make it "a viable local airport".

The Department for Transport is expected to review charges after analysis showed that prices at major UK airports had risen by a third on average since the summer of 2025.

In June, Norwich Airport increased its drop-off charge from £6 to £8 for stays of up to 20 minutes.

Richard Pace said drop-off income was an important part of its revenue that helped pay for airport operations, complying with regulation and long-term infrastructure.

Pace said the £8 fee allowed the airport to carry out different projects, including to resurface its runway in 2027.

"It is clear we need to have a variety of revenue streams to make sure that we continue to have a viable local airport," he said.

Talking about the drop-off fee, Pace told BBC Radio Norfolk: "There is no consideration to scrap it or reduce it at the moment, but clearly we will have to wait for the government's review."

At the nearest major London airport to Norwich, Stansted, drop-off charges there have recently jumped from £7 to £10.

The government said it hoped airports would "exercise restraint on rises, particularly where there are limited public transport alternatives".

Alice Macdonald, Labour MP for Norwich North, said the £8 fee at Norwich was "quite a substantial amount of money".

"I think this review is the right thing to do, and it's coming at a really timely moment," she said.

"There is evidence that fees are going up, and we need to look at whether that is having a detrimental impact and how it could be mitigated."

Talking about Norwich, Macdonald added: "We have to look at if all the public transport options are really adequate."

In September, Norfolk County Council said it was exploring whether it could repurpose Norwich Airport Park and Ride to help solve the issue of so-called fly-parking.

Fly-parking, where cars are left on nearby roads to avoid charges, has become an increasing problem in Hellesdon.

The airport serves flights by Ryanair, TUI and Loganair, offering direct flights to places including Amsterdam, Aberdeen, Malta and Faro.

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