Norwich Airport now charges £8 for 20 minutes in its drop-off lane, more than double last year's rate per minute. The government is now reviewing drop-off fees.
Dropping someone at Norwich Airport now costs £8 for up to 20 minutes. A year ago the same lane cost £5 for up to 30 minutes. That is twice as much per minute as in the spring, and the charge is now part of a government review of airport drop-off fees nationwide.
The current price is on the airport’s own car parking page. The older prices come from the same page as it was archived in October 2025 and May 2026.
How the charge has changed
The drop-off lane is in Car Park 1 (Short Stay), in front of the terminal. On the airport’s own published tariffs:
| When | Drop-off charge | Time allowed | Cost per minute |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 2025 | £5 | 30 minutes | about 17p |
| May 2026 | £6 | 30 minutes | 20p |
| October 2026 | £8 | 20 minutes | 40p |
The time allowance was cut as well as the price going up. Someone who needs 25 minutes to meet a delayed flight now pays for the next band. That band is £15 for 20 to 60 minutes. In May the same 25 minutes cost £6.
The rest of the short stay tariff rose too. One to two hours cost £10 in May. It is now part of a £20 band covering one to four hours.
The government review
The Department for Transport confirmed in mid-October that it will review airport drop-off charges. In its statement it said:
It is vital to ensure travel remains accessible and that passengers are treated fairly. In the meantime, we hope airports exercise restraint on rises, particularly where there are limited public transport alternatives.
That statement was carried word for word by the BBC and Auto Express. The department has not said it will cap fees. In January it told Parliament that airport parking charges are a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business, though it expects drivers to be treated fairly.
Norwich Airport has not published a statement on its website about the charge or the review.
Why it matters beyond the terminal
Drop-off charges are already tied to a problem in the streets next to the airport. The Airport Consultative Committee was told in July that the charges were causing problems in nearby roads. Hellesdon’s county councillor has since reported holidaymakers leaving cars on side streets, and the county council is looking at whether the Airport Park and Ride could help. We set out how that issue reached County Hall in September.
The airport does not allow anyone to stop on its approach roads or roundabouts instead. Its page says drop-off and pick-up are only allowed in the marked area of Car Park 1. Stopping elsewhere on airport land risks a penalty charge from Vehicle Control Services, the private firm that enforces it.
What it means for you
If you are giving someone a lift, the airport’s own tariffs give you these options:
- Under 20 minutes: the drop-off lane in Car Park 1, £8.
- Meeting a flight that might be late: Car Park 2 (Long Stay) charges a flat £10 for anything up to four hours. In Car Park 1, 20 minutes to an hour is £15 and one to four hours is £20.
- Blue Badge holders: dedicated drop-off and pick-up spaces in Car Park 1, where you can stay up to four hours for the £8 rate. Take the badge to the parking office in the terminal to have the ticket adjusted.
- By bus: the Airport Park and Ride (PR1) leaves from outside the terminal, up to every 14 minutes in the day, with an adult ticket at £3. Konect route 35 runs up to hourly to the city centre and the railway station. Both are listed on the airport’s travel page.
Both car parks are card only. The airport stopped taking cash on 1 January 2026.
For other parking in and around the city, see our Norwich parking page.
Have your say