Southend Airport scraps free 15-minute drop-off period and brings in £7 minimum charge

Southend Airport has quietly removed its previously free 15-minute drop-off and pick-up allowance at the Long Stay car park – replacing it with a flat charge of £7 for stays of up to just five minutes.

The move has drawn heavy criticism from local residents and airport users, with the new pricing structure being labelled “excessive and greedy”.

The change came into effect recently, but some travellers were caught off guard due to outdated signs and information still displayed around the site, which gave the impression that the free period remained in place.

The new Southend Airport drop-off and pick-up charges

Duration	Price
0–5 minutes	£7
5–30 minutes	£15
30–60 minutes	£30
1–2 hours	£45
4–24 hours	£65

Charges also apply at the Long Stay car park, which had previously been used for the free pick-up and drop-off.

A spokesperson for London Southend Airport defended the decision, stating: “We continuously review our facilities and services to ensure the best possible experience for all passengers. As part of this, we are committed to encouraging the use of our excellent transport links to access the airport.

“Our on-site train station – just 53 minutes from London Liverpool Street and 42 minutes from Stratford Station – offers fast, direct connectivity to central London and beyond, providing a convenient and sustainable alternative to car travel.

“Using the train or bus typically means just two journeys – one to the airport and one back home – compared to four separate journeys when being dropped off and picked up by car. Encouraging greater use of public transport helps reduce overall traffic, emissions and local congestion, which is an important part of our long-term vision.”

But the changes have left a sour taste for many local people in Southend and the surrounding areas who often rely on short car journeys to the airport with friends or family.

For residents living nearby, driving to the terminal can take just 10 to 15 minutes – making the idea of taking a bus or train instead seem unnecessarily costly or inconvenient.

One Leigh-on-Sea resident, who dropped off her son at the airport today, said: “It’s outrageous. I drop off my son using the 15-min car park. I’m usually in and out in less than four minutes. Now I’ll have to pay £7 which is the airport just being greedy!”

Many others echoed similar frustration, pointing out that some bus services to the airport are often delayed or unreliable and that not everyone lives close to a train station.

Local frustration has also been fuelled by the fact that many Southend residents already do use public transport or taxis to reach the airport, due to not owning a car.

Critics say the airport is now financially penalising those who choose the convenience of being dropped off – often for perfectly valid reasons – rather than taking public transport that may not suit their route or schedule.

Despite its claims around sustainability, many people see the change as a cash grab rather than a green initiative, particularly as the most shortest stops now come with a £7 price tag.

Other major airports serving the South East still offer free drop off parking. London Gatwick Airport offers a 2-hour free drop off/pick up parking option and London Stansted Airport offers a 1-hour free drop off/pick up parking option.