The Manchester drop-off charge in detail
£5.50 for up to 5 minutes.
If you overstay: £6.50 for up to 10 minutes; £25 for up to 30 minutes.
Where to drop off at Manchester
Each terminal has its own signed Drop Off zone on the forecourt, and both are barrier-free ANPR — cameras read your plate, there's nothing to pay on site. Terminal 1 has closed, so all drop-offs use Terminal 2 or Terminal 3.
| Terminal | Where the drop-off zone is |
|---|---|
| Terminal 2 | Off the Flag Island roundabout (M90 5PH) — upper forecourt beside check-in, lower forecourt at Arrivals level with a 2.0m height limit |
| Terminal 3 | Terminal forecourt, M90 1NN |
The same tariff applies at both terminals: £5.50 for 5 minutes, £6.50 for 10, £25 for up to 30 (30-minute maximum).
What the Manchester drop-off is actually like
Manchester's Terminal 2 Drop Off Zone, reached from the Flag Island roundabout, has two levels — an upper forecourt beside check-in and a lower one on Arrivals with lifts by the bays — both with a 2.0m (6ft 6in) height limit.
Source: the airport's own directions page.
How and when to pay the Manchester drop-off charge
How: Online at pay.manchesterairport.co.uk or by automated phone on 03459 013318 — no cash or cheques.
When: pay by midnight the following day. Non-payment brings a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
There are no barriers at the forecourts — ANPR logs your visit and you pay afterwards online or by phone.
Exemptions: Blue Badge holders can use the forecourt Drop Off areas free of charge — for dropping off only, not pick-ups.
Official payment site: pay.manchesterairport.co.uk
Free drop-off alternative at Manchester
JetParks 1 free drop-off area — Free drop-off at JetParks 1 (M90 5AZ) — one-way shuttle to the terminals, about 6 minutes, running 24/7 with marshals on hand. Allow 15–25 extra minutes versus the barrier.
Every airport's free alternative is in the free drop-off guide — or scan the full comparison table.
Pick-up charges at Manchester Airport: where to collect and what it costs
Never try to collect passengers in the Drop Off zones — Manchester charges £100 for attempting it. Official pick-up is in the multi-storeys: Multi Storey T2 West (M90 5PR) at £6.60 for up to 15 minutes, with the equivalent multi-storey pick-up at Terminal 3. And don't plan to wait at the free JetParks 1 area for an arrival — it's a drop-off facility, and its free shuttle runs one way only, from the car park to the terminals.
How pick-up charging works across the UK: pick-up charges at every airport · the quick comparison.
Getting to the Manchester drop-off
Manchester Airport terminal. Follow the drop-off signs on site — the zone can sit a short walk from the doors.
© OpenStreetMap contributors · Get directions →
By rail — Manchester Airport station links to all terminals by covered walkways (a 5–15 minute walk), with direct trains to Manchester Piccadilly in about 20 minutes.source
Being dropped off isn't the cheap option.
Dropped off and collected at Manchester? £5.50 out, £6.60 back — £12.10 in fees.
That's before fuel and two round-trips — and never try collecting in the Drop Off zone itself: that's a £100 charge. Flying yourself? Pre-book parking instead and the car's waiting when you land — even off the 1am arrival.
Pre-book Manchester parking →Compare: Airparks · YourParkingSpace
Just dropping someone off? JetParks 1 free drop-off area is the free option here — details above.
Still weighing it up? Is it cheaper to park or get dropped off at Manchester?
Some parking links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. It never affects our charges data.
Manchester drop-off & pick-up FAQs
How much is the drop-off charge at Manchester Airport?
Manchester Airport charges £5.50 for up to 5 minutes at the drop-off area closest to the terminal. If you overstay: £6.50 for up to 10 minutes; £25 for up to 30 minutes.
Is there a free drop-off at Manchester Airport?
Yes. Manchester keeps a free or cheaper option — JetParks 1 free drop-off area: Free drop-off at JetParks 1 (M90 5AZ) — one-way shuttle to the terminals, about 6 minutes, running 24/7 with marshals on hand. Allow 15–25 extra minutes.
How do I pay the Manchester Airport drop-off charge?
Online at pay.manchesterairport.co.uk or by automated phone on 03459 013318 — no cash or cheques. Pay by midnight the following day. Non-payment brings a £100 Parking Charge Notice, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
Can you pay the Manchester drop-off charge at a machine or by card at the airport?
No. There are no barriers at the forecourts — ANPR logs your visit and you pay afterwards online or by phone. Pay by midnight the following day.
Is the Manchester drop-off charge free for Blue Badge holders?
Blue Badge holders can use the forecourt Drop Off areas free of charge — for dropping off only, not pick-ups.
Is there a pick-up charge at Manchester Airport, and where do you collect?
Never try to collect passengers in the Drop Off zones — Manchester charges £100 for attempting it. Official pick-up is in the multi-storeys: Multi Storey T2 West (M90 5PR) at £6.60 for up to 15 minutes, with the equivalent multi-storey pick-up at Terminal 3. And don't plan to wait at the free JetParks 1 area for an arrival — it's a drop-off facility, and its free shuttle runs one way only, from the car park to the terminals.
Has the Manchester Airport drop-off charge gone up?
Yes. It rose from £5 in 2025 to £5.50, an increase of about 10%.
Did you know?
Manchester opened on 25 June 1938 as “Ringway” and is still the only UK airport outside London with two full-length runways. It carried just 7,600 passengers in its first fourteen months — today it handles more than that in a few hours.
Source: www.manchesterairport.co.uk
Drop-off charges at airports near Manchester
Method & corrections
Every figure on this page is checked against the airport's own published charges and stamped with the date we checked it. We re-verify the full dataset quarterly, and after any reported change — see how we work and who maintains it.
Spotted an error? Email hello@airportdropoffcharges.co.uk — corrections are made visibly and dated. The dataset behind this page is free to reuse with attribution: JSON · CSV (CC BY 4.0).