Airport parking guide

Parking at London City Airport

What it costs to drop someone off, what the car parks charge, what catches people out and who issues a ticket and how to appeal at London City Airport.

LCYGreater LondonReviewed 30 September 2026

London City charges for the forecourt from the first second: £8 for up to five minutes, then £1 a minute, and nobody may stay longer than ten. The charge is not paid on site — it is paid online afterwards, by midnight the day after — and staying past ten minutes costs a £100 parking charge. For anything longer, the Pick-up area and the main car park share one ladder that starts at £10 for twenty minutes.

LCY Greater London England London City Airport

10 minutesMaximum stay
NoneFree period
3Car parks

Dropping someone off at London City Airport

No free period in the drop-off zone.

How long you stayWhat it costs
Up to 5 minutes £8
Each further minute, up to 10 minutes £1 £1 per minute after the first five; maximum stay 10 minutes.

London City publishes one forecourt tariff with no split by terminal.

Staying past ten minutes triggers a £100 enforcement charge, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days, enforced by CCTV. Leaving the vehicle unattended means it can be towed away. The drop-off charge itself must be paid online by midnight the day after the visit to avoid additional fees.

Free alternative: There is no free drop-off for ordinary drivers. Blue Badge holders who register get 10 free minutes in the Drop-off area and one free hour in the main car park.

The airport's own drop-off page →

Picking someone up

Collecting from the terminal costs £10 to £97.90.

The operator suggests moving to the main car park if you need more than twenty minutes, but the main car park's drive-up ladder is the same as the Pick-up area's.

Free alternative: None published for ordinary drivers.

Car parks at London City Airport

Car park Type Walk Height limit Prices
Pick-up Area
«Just steps away from the terminal». Cashless: all major cards except American Express. Pay at the pay point in the Pick-up area or at the terminal entrance. 		Short stay Not confirmed 3.3 m Up to 20 minutes: £10
20 to 30 minutes: £16.90
30 minutes to 1 hour: £21.90
1 to 2 hours: £29.90
2 to 4 hours: £39.90
4 to 8 hours: £59.90
8 to 24 hours: £97.90
Official On-site Parking (main car park)
Drive-up rates, «a 5-minute walk from the terminal entrance». The operator advertises up to 90% off these rates for pre-booking; the minimum pre-booked stay is one day and the latest booking is six hours before arrival. Cashless, no American Express. 		Long stay 5 min 3.3 m Up to 20 minutes: £10
20 to 30 minutes: £16.90
30 minutes to 1 hour: £21.90
1 to 2 hours: £29.90
2 to 4 hours: £39.90
4 to 8 hours: £59.90
8 to 24 hours: £97.90
Official Premium Car Park
«40 meters to the terminal», bays 50% bigger. Pre-book only: minimum stay one day, maximum 35 days. No drive-up price table is published. 		Premium Not confirmed 3.3 m Not confirmed

What catches people out at London City Airport

  • The forecourt is never free — £8 buys five minutes; after that each minute costs £1, and ten minutes is the most you may stay — £13 in total at the limit. source
  • The drop-off charge is paid afterwards, online — Number-plate cameras record the visit; the charge is paid online through APCOA by midnight the day after, or additional fees follow. source
  • Minute eleven costs £100 — Staying past ten minutes on the forecourt triggers a £100 charge, cut to £60 only if paid within 14 days. source
  • Moving to the main car park does not make it cheaper — The operator suggests the main car park for stays over twenty minutes, but its drive-up ladder is identical to the Pick-up area's — £10 for twenty minutes, £97.90 for up to a day. source
  • A carer's Blue Badge does not qualify — The free hour in the main car park requires presenting the Blue Badge at the info desk; badges with a black stripe for carers, and commercial vehicles and taxis, are excluded. The forecourt exemption needs an approved account, which can take up to five days. source
  • No American Express — Both the Pick-up area and the main car park are cashless and accept all major cards except American Express. source

If you get a ticket at London City Airport

London City Airport is private land. A notice issued here is a parking charge notice — a claim under the contract you accept by parking, not a fine issued by a council. Nobody at the airport has the power to fine you.

Because this is not a council notice, an appeal does not go to London Tribunals, which hears council penalty charge notices in London.

Enforcement is carried out by APCOA (drop-off payments and customer service) on behalf of London City Airport.

The Drop-off page links to an appeal route for a parking charge but names no trade body. The operator names no trade body on the parking pages we read, so we cannot say in advance whether an appeal would go to POPLA or the IAS. Ask for the basis of any charge in writing before paying or disputing it.

How a private parking charge works, and when the keeper can be pursued →

Appealing a private parking charge, step by step →

NoticeChargeIf paid early
Drop-off overstay (more than 10 minutes)
Stated on the Drop-off page. Enforced by CCTV. 		£100 £60 within 14 days

Nearby

Common questions

How much does it cost to drop someone off at London City Airport?
£8 for up to five minutes, then £1 a minute, with a maximum stay of ten minutes. The charge is paid online by midnight the day after. Staying longer than ten minutes brings a £100 parking charge, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
Is there free parking for Blue Badge holders at London City Airport?
Yes. Blue Badge holders get one free hour in the main car park by showing the badge at the info desk, and 60 free minutes in the Pick-up area. For the forecourt, a registered Blue Badge account gives 10 free minutes. Carer badges with a black stripe are not eligible for the car park discount.
How much is parking at London City Airport without booking?
The drive-up ladder is the same in the Pick-up area and the main car park: £10 for up to 20 minutes, £21.90 for up to an hour, £59.90 for four to eight hours and £97.90 for eight to 24 hours.
What is the height limit at London City Airport car parks?
3.3 metres for all vehicles entering the car park, according to the parking terms and conditions.

Sources

Figures last checked 30 September 2026