Drivers who are planning to drop people off at airports have been given a warning by the RAC due to the increase in fees for the practice at most UK airports.

An investigation from the company found that 16 of the 22 airports analysed have introduced or raised charges for dropping off passengers in the past three years.

The so-called kiss and fly charges will leave drivers "stunned" the RAC said.

Stansted Airport was found to be the most expensive for these charges with their initial fee being £7 for up to 15 minutes, an increase from £4 for 10 minutes in 2019.

Eight airports charge drivers £5 for dropping off, including Heathrow and Gatwick.

Manchester also charge £5 for this and only give drivers five minutes to complete the drop-off.

York Press: Most airports have upped the price of dropping off (PA)Most airports have upped the price of dropping off (PA)

Dropping off passengers at the three largest airports in Scotland is not much cheaper.

Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow Airports have all doubled their fees in the past three years to £4 for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, Birmingham and Belfast International Airports have kept their fees the same since 2019 (£3 for 15 minutes and £1 for 10 minutes respectively), while drivers can take still advantage of free-drop-off areas near terminal entrances at Cardiff, London City and Belfast City Airports.

What advice did the RAC give?

RAC head of roads policy, Nicholas Lyes, said limited public transport options for some airports and concerns about train strikes mean many passengers are asking a friend or relative to give them a lift.

He went on: “Anyone dropping a loved one off at the terminal this summer will be stunned by some of these sky-high, kiss-and-drop charges.

“And for those using the UK’s two busiest airports, the luxury of free drop-offs outside the terminal building has been replaced by some pretty high fees.

“Minute for minute and pound for pound, some of these charges could almost be as high as the airfare itself.”

Mr Lyes said it appears many airports have increased fees to “partially make up for two years of lost revenue” during the pandemic.

He advised drivers to research charges before heading to airports, and warned them to be aware that many sites use cameras to enforce bans on stopping in certain areas.