NCP has apologised after drivers using Birmingham Airport's free drop-off zone were charged up to £14 due to congestion caused by the closure of the nearby M42 motorway. The congestion on Sunday, August 16, left motorists unable to exit the set-down area within the ten-minute free period, resulting in unexpected charges.
Driver's experience with congestion and charges
Kevin Betts, 59, originally from Stirchley, was dropping his partner off for a flight to Spain when he encountered the traffic. He was charged £14 after taking 25 minutes to clear the area because of the queue. He noted that one of the exits was also closed, compounding the problem.
Betts described the situation: "It was such a crawl, there must have been 50 or 60 cars in front of us. I refuse to use the express area, I'm not paying £7 for a three-minute job and I'm sick of the charges. I said to my partner 'stop flying from Birmingham Airport', Liverpool and Manchester are only up the road and so much easier'.
"Once we got to the standard area, cars were pushing in and it was so chaotic. No-one was directing traffic and people were jumping out of cars with suitcases, worried they would miss flights. One exit had been shut so only one lane was open, it was a crawl snaking up and down and we were gridlocked.
"I put my number plate in and it flagged up that I had £14 to pay because we had been there for 25 minutes. Everyone must have paid the same fine as me, easily. We're all trying to avoid the express lane cost and I've paid double, I've asked for a refund but doubt I'll get anything."
NCP's response and refund policy
NCP, which entered administration in March, said affected drivers would be refunded. A spokesperson for NCP explained: "Over the weekend we experienced issues with queues in our drop-off car park. This was due to the closure of the M42 causing traffic to build at the island, which is the entrance to the airport.
"As cars were having to give right of way to vehicles entering the airport it was therefore affecting traffic moving through the drop off section. We did staff the car park to try to help the traffic flow within the car park but appreciate there was a delay in customers being able to exit.
"Our team has the full details of the times the drop-off area was congested and customers who experienced this delay are welcome to contact our customer services with the details of the date, time and cost of visit and our team will help them with a refund. We apologise for any inconvenience."
Impact on travellers and airport operations
Birmingham Airport was approached for comment. The incident highlights ongoing frustrations for travellers using the airport's drop-off facilities, particularly during periods of roadworks or motorway closures. The M42 closure, combined with the exit lane closure, created a bottleneck that trapped drivers beyond the free period, leading to unexpected costs.
