Gatwick will start charging a £5 fee next month for vehicles which drop off passengers at the airport.
It will apply passengers being dropped off directly outside its North Terminal, from where all flights are currently operating.
The charge will be extended to the South Terminal forecourt at a later date.
The airport said the initiative will help to reduce traffic congestion and create a “vital” new revenue stream “providing further protection for local jobs as the negative economic impacts of the pandemic continue”.
However, consumers commenting on the airport’s Facebook page were overwhelmingly opposed to the move.
More than 3,000 comments were posted within 20 hours of news about the fee appearing on the page, with many commenters accusing the airport of being greedy and profiteering.
To avoid the charges, passengers can be dropped off or collected in the airport’s long-stay car parks with two hours of free parking and a free shuttle bus to the terminal. Alternatively, passengers can arrive by public transport.
In 2019, about 15% of airport journeys were ‘Kiss and Fly’, which involve two trips either way.
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Gatwick Airport to charge £5 for vehicles to drop off passengers at terminals
The airport announced its plans for the fee in October but did not say at that point when the charge would begin.
Jonathan Pollard, chief commercial officer, said: “It is no secret that the airport is going through the most difficult period in its history and we have little choice but to explore new revenue streams that will us help us recover from the Covid-19 crisis and continue as an important provider of economic prosperity and jobs across the region.
“This new scheme will also encourage passengers to consider more sustainable transport options, including taking advantage of our excellent public transport services.
“We plan to use this charge to build on these services by using a proportion of the revenue raised to support new sustainable transport initiatives, in addition to our ongoing project to build a new £150 million train station which is progressing well.”
The charge will be £5 for 10 minutes, and £1 for each additional minute up to 20 minutes. The maximum charge will be £25 and the maximum length of stay 30 minutes.