Norwich is one of the cheapest airports to drop someone off at – but some passengers remain disgruntled about the £10 'development' charge.
It comes as a recent RAC report found 82% of the UK's largest airports, so not including Norwich, had increased their short term charges for picking up and dropping off someone by car, dubbed 'kiss and fly,' since last year.
Stansted was one of the worst offenders, charging £4 for 10 minutes and £25 for more than 15 minutes with Luton second in the league table of airports charging the most. It now charges £4 for 13 minutes and £1 a minute thereafter.
At Norwich you get the first 15 minutes completely free and then the next 30 minutes is charged at £2.50, an hour is £5, two hours is £10 and three hours, £15.
But every adult is still charged the £10 development fee which was introduced in 2007 to fund improvements to the airport's infrastructure and passenger facilities. Over the years, this charge imposed on all traavelling adult passengers has contributed to the retention of scheduled services, the terminal building refurbishment, improvements to the flight information systems, apron upgrades for aircraft parking in front of the terminal, radar equipment and emergency response training and equipment. But it does not go down well with some people using the airport.
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One business traveller on August 7 left a review on airport review site Skytrax saying: "Check-in staff were fine but all passengers have to pay £10 for a ridiculous airport improvement fee. It's just rent-seeking - no sign of improvement since I last travelled through 10 years ago."
Another on June 13 said: "There was no up-to-date equipment in spite of the £10 charge" and one in April; "Dropped my wife and two girls to see her brother in Holland. Airport hasn't changed since 2002. Cafe a joke. Have to pay airport tax for improvements. See none."
A spokesman for Norwich Airport said: "The ADF (airport development fee) makes an essential contribution to the ongoing sustainability of Norwich Airport and the development of its infrastructure and passenger facilities. It is invested directly into both the airport and the development of the route network to ensure that Norwich Airport serves the travel requirements of as many regional travellers as possible. This investment has helped boost passenger numbers to more than half a million in recent years."
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