Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has had discussions with airport operators on recent increases in terminal drop-off charges at (a) Heathrow Airport and (b) other airports; and what assessment she has made of the potential impact of these charges on passengers.

The Department for Transport regularly engages with airport operators on a range of matters, including surface access and car parking arrangements at airports. The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the potential impact of car parking and drop-off charges on passengers. The provision and charging of airport parking are matters for each airport to manage and justify as a commercial business. Parking revenue including that from drop-off charges, is an important source of income for airports, supporting investment in future infrastructure and upgrades, enhancing public transport options, and helping to manage congestion around airport sites.  We will continue to engage with operators to ensure that where airports do choose to charge, they do so in a way that is fair and transparent.