Posted on the 5th June 2026 in PHTM News

BOURNEMOUTH AIRPORT PARKING FEES OUTPACE HEATHROW SPARKING OUTRAGE FROM FURIOUS CABBIES

Bournemouth Airport has quietly hiked its short-stay pick-up and drop-off fees, making it more expensive than major hubs such as London Heathrow.

Local taxi drivers and businesses claim the sudden increase was introduced without any warning and risks driving passengers away just as the busy summer holiday season begins.

Starting June 1, motorists entering the airport's pick-up and drop-off zone must pay £8 for up to 30 minutes, a jump from the £6 fee set in December 2025 and £5 before that.

Stays between 30 and 60 minutes have doubled from £7.50 to £15, while parking for one to four hours now costs £20. The new rates push Bournemouth's prices past both Heathrow and Southampton airports, which charge around £7.

Jay Ahmed of Canford Taxi said drivers were caught completely off guard when the airport changed the prices "under the shadow of the moon" overnight. He warned that the timing is incredibly damaging for local operators and passengers alike.

"People flying in after the Easter holidays were being charged £8 to leave and had no idea what was going on," Ahmed said. "We had told customers it would be £6 – you cannot suddenly charge them more."

Ahmed, who has been a driver for over 12 years, fears the soaring costs will force travellers to find alternative, less convenient ways to get home.

"With the cost of everything, people may stop using taxis and ask friends or family instead, or meet outside the airport," he added. "I do not blame them."

Local businesses have also criticised the airport’s pricing strategy. A spokesperson for Parley Lane Parking, a nearby private parking operator, urged for an end to the current system.

"This is further evidence that the airport’s monopoly on parking needs to be broken and passengers should stop being treated as cash cows for a private company," the spokesperson said.

Defending the price hike, Bournemouth Airport stated that it can no longer afford to absorb surging operational expenses, pointing to a tripling of business rates, higher energy costs, and increased National Insurance contributions.

"We understand that no-one welcomes increased charges, but our airport group is facing sharp rises in costs," an airport spokesman said. "We cannot keep absorbing these increased costs without passing some of the additional burden on to our customers."


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