Thousands of drivers & passengers at major Scots airport face new £8.50 charge from TODAY
SCORES of drivers face a new charge at a major Scottish airport as a price increase begins today.
New drop-off charges have been rolled out at Edinburgh Airport, Scotland‘s busiest air hub which was used by 17 million passengers last year.
It will now cost £8.50 for a ten-minute slot to either drop-off or pick someone up near the main terminal.
The fees have been hiked by £2.50 and were rolled out today.
Bosses have also scrapped a 50 per cent discount for people driving electric vehicles to the airport.
Instead, more spaces have been added to the free drop-off area – where motorists can park for free for 30 minutes.
The price hike has been blamed on a surge in business rates.
Airport chiefs claim they have been hit by a hit by a 142 per cent rise – an £8million increase – which was branded “simply unacceptable”.
Edinburgh Airport’s chief executive Gordon Dewar said: “This decision to impose an unplanned and wholly disproportionate £8million rates increase has an immediate and negative impact on our business.
“We made this clear in correspondence with the Lothians Assessor, who set the increase, and in discussions with the Scottish Government, which has endorsed it.
“A 142% increase reduces our ability to invest, grow and compete. In practical terms, it equates to funding around 200 jobs, two aircraft stands, or five new security lanes. It is not a cost that can be absorbed; it must be covered, and trade-offs like this are unfortunately unavoidable.
“Like many across the hospitality and tourism sectors who have seen business rates soar, we have no choice but to pass part of this cost on to passengers.
“We had not planned to raise fees this year, but the absence of a transitional relief scheme – equivalent to that available in England and Wales – leaves us with no alternative.
“We have always accepted that, given our size, we should pay more, but the scale of this increase is simply unacceptable.”
Bosses previously wrote to the Convenor of the Lothian Valuation Joint Board, which sets non-domestic rates, as well as the First Minister and the Public Finance Minister, to outline their concerns.
Mr Dewar added: “We have made clear to both the Assessor and the Scottish Government that a system which produces such markedly different outcomes for comparable assets operating within the same national economy cannot credibly be described as fair, proportionate or fit for a modern Scotland. This systemic inconsistency lies at the heart of our concern.”
It comes just months after Glasgow and Aberdeen airports – both owned by AGS – increased their drop off fees.
It costs £7 for people to park for up to 15 minutes at both of the sites.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The valuation of all non-domestic property is a matter for the Scottish Assessors who are independent of central and local government.
“The Scottish Government estimates Edinburgh Airport will, with Transitional Relief, have a net non-domestic rates bill of around £8.1 million for 2026-27, compared to £5.4 million before revaluation.
“The Scottish Government’s Revaluation Transitional Relief protects those most affected at revaluation – including airports – and will cap increases in gross liabilities up to the next revaluation in 2029.”