How much is the UK passenger service charge at Heathrow?

In 2021, Heathrow was given permission to raise the passenger charge for airlines from £19.60 to £30.19 for the summer of 2022. The aim was to help it get through the pandemic.



For the 2026 travel year, the "Maximum Allowable Yield" (the cap on what Heathrow can charge airlines per passenger) is approximately £26.09. This figure is determined by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) through the "H7" price control framework. While this is the amount Heathrow bills the airlines for using facilities, security, and baggage systems, the price you see on your ticket under "Passenger Service Charge" may vary slightly as airlines sometimes bundle other operational costs. This 2026 rate is part of a regulated effort to keep airport charges competitive while funding massive infrastructure upgrades, such as the Next Generation Security (NGS) scanners that are currently being rolled out across all terminals. It is a peer-to-peer "pro-tip" to note that these charges have actually fallen in real terms over the last decade, even as the airport invests billions into improving the "passenger experience" metrics that the CAA monitors.

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While prices will remain the same for 2023, the average maximum per-passenger fee will drop from £31.57 this year to £25.43 in 2024, and will stay broadly flat until the end of 2026. Heathrow had pushed for an increase to more than £40 a passenger.

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Yes, you can pay the Heathrow drop-off charge the day after you enter the drop-off zone, but you have to pay it before midnight on that day. Any later and you'll be charged with an £80 Parking Charge Notice (PCN).

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If you are picking up please park in a designated pick up space. Parking is free for the first 30 minutes, with roll-up prices applying thereafter.

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Payments should be made at the car park pay-on-foot machines, not booked online.

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Heathrow has argued it needs higher fees to provide a good service, pay its shareholders returns and fund investment such as new security scanners which mean liquids can stay in bags and a modern baggage system for one of its terminals.

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If you'd prefer not to pay the drop-off charge, Heathrow offers a free drop-off option at the Long Stay car parks. Once you've dropped your passengers off, they will just need to take the free transfer bus to the terminal.

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Heathrow Long Stay FREE Parking Heathrow offers FREE parking for up to 29 minutes at the Long Stay car parks, perfect if you're dropping off or picking up passengers. ?? Passengers will need to catch the FREE shuttle bus to and from the terminals - transfers run every 10-15 minutes and take 5 minutes.

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Drivers picking up at Heathrow airport must use the short stay car park at each terminal as passengers are directed there through the app. We will take care of the cost of parking for up to 30 minutes (£4.50). Please make sure your passenger arrives within that time before entering the car park.

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Picking-up at Heathrow If you are picking-up a passenger from Heathrow, it is prohibited to wait on the terminal forecourt. Please park in one of our Short Stay car parks, and pay at a pay-on-foot machine, or one of our Long Stay car parks for 30 minutes for free.

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Pickup from our forecourts (the area outside the terminal building) is not allowed. The nearest location to Terminal 2 for pick-ups is the Terminal 2 short stay car park. Alternatively, you can also collect passengers from the Terminal 2 Long Stay car park, where the first 30 minutes are free.

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