04/06/2026
Airport drop-off fees are back in the news again (it's that time of year!), with parking "fines" being issued for those who forget to pay at barrierless entries and exits, where signs are often misleading and boldly state you are on private land.
Let's be clear. A Parking Charge Notice is not a fine - it is an invoice issued by a private parking operator for an alleged breach of contract on private land. Council-issued Penalty Charge Notices are different, and relate to public authority enforcement - these are fines.
Airport land is classed as "statutory land" and is subject to bylaws, whereas private land is "relevant land" and covered by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
This means there is no keeper liability, and you are only invited to disclose who the driver is. You are under no moral or legal obligation to say who the driver is, and they cannot assume the keeper was the driver. Appeal as the keeper without identifying the driver to cancel their speculative invoice.
I covered this with Sky News Money Blog earlier this year.
https://news.sky.com/story/the-loophole-that-could-help-you-avoid-parking-fines-13494194
Money blog regular and complaints expert Scott Dixon explains a legal loophole that could help you avoid parking fines at airports.