How to appeal a London City Airport drop-off charge
London City Airport began charging for drop-off in January 2026: £8 for up to 5 minutes on the terminal forecourt, then £1 a minute to a 10-minute maximum, paid online afterwards. APCOA runs the charge for the airport, and overstaying the 10 minutes brings a £100 enforcement charge (£60 within 14 days).
- Airport
- London City Airport
- Drop-off run by
- APCOA
- How it works
- Barrierless ANPR - pay online by the deadline (a missed payment becomes a charge)
- Drop-off fee
- £8 for up to 5 minutes, then £1/min up to 10 minutes (from January 2026 - drop-off is no longer free) - checked 27 September 2026; confirm the current fee on the airport's website
- Free alternative
- the DLR reaches the terminal directly, so public transport avoids the forecourt charge
- Type of notice
- Private Parking Charge Notice (a contract dispute, not a statutory PCN)
- Appeal route
- Appeal to APCOA Parking within 28 days; if it is rejected you can escalate free to POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals), as APCOA Parking is a BPA member. How it works: POPLA appeals
Drop-off fees change frequently - always confirm the current price and terms on the airport's official website, and use the exact appeal channel and reference printed on your notice.
Forgot to pay the London City drop-off charge?
The deadline. The charge has to be paid by midnight the day after your visit, through the APCOA website.
Paying late. London City’s terms say that failing to pay by then results in a Parking Charge Notice. The airport doesn’t publish the amount for a missed payment - its £100 figure is for staying longer than 10 minutes.
What happens next. At a camera-enforced drop-off the notice is posted to the registered keeper. If you think you have grounds, appeal before paying - paying is usually treated as accepting the charge. Appeal to APCOA Parking within 28 days; if it is rejected you can escalate free to POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals), as APCOA Parking is a BPA member.
To avoid it next time, a personal drop-off account can take the charge automatically with AutoPay.
Forgetting to pay isn't a defence on its own, but it isn't the end of the story either - check the grounds below, especially whether the charge and its deadline were clearly signed before you stopped, and the “relevant land” point on keeper liability.
Sources: londoncityairport.com drop-off page, londoncityairport.com terms - checked .
The rules at London City Airport
What is published about dropping off, paying and enforcement at London City Airport - mostly from the airport's own pages, terms and byelaws, plus official registers such as the parking trade bodies' member lists. Each point links to its source and the date we checked it.
- Where to drop off
- Drop-off is on the terminal forecourt directly in front of the terminal building (the 'Terminal Drop-off Zone', marked by signs and road markings). Pick-ups must use the separate, paid Pick-up Area instead.
Source: londoncityairport.com · checked
- Paying
- The forecourt is camera-monitored (ANPR) with no barrier, so you pay after the visit. Pay online at dropoff.londoncityairport.com, by automated phone, or with AutoPay, by midnight on the day after your visit.
Source: londoncityairport.com · checked
- Time limit
- The maximum stay in the Drop-off zone is 10 minutes, and paying the charge does not allow you to wait before or after the drop-off.
Source: londoncityairport.com · checked
- Penalty
- The airport's own figure is for overstaying: a driver who stays past the 10-minute maximum faces a £100 enforcement charge, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. Under the terms, a Parking Charge Notice is also issued for not paying the drop-off charge in time, for an unregistered Blue Badge visit, or for dropping off elsewhere on airport property; it must be paid within 28 days, with a reduced amount in the first 14.
Source: londoncityairport.com · checked
- Who enforces
- The contract is with London City Airport Limited, and APCOA Parking (UK) Limited runs the drop-off charge and its accounts on the airport's behalf, including payments and challenges. APCOA is a British Parking Association Approved Operator, so a rejected appeal goes to POPLA.
Source: londoncityairport.com · checked
- Trade body
- APCOA Parking (UK) Ltd is listed as a British Parking Association Approved Operator.
Source: britishparking.co.uk · checked
- Stopping and waiting
- A Parking Charge Notice can also be issued for dropping off anywhere on airport property outside the designated Terminal Drop-off Zone. Waiting in your vehicle on the forecourt, or leaving it unattended, can also bring a penalty.
Source: londoncityairport.com · checked
- Blue Badge holders
- A Blue Badge holder who is a passenger can get free drop-off, covering up to 10 minutes, but only after registering a Blue Badge Account. Apply at least 7 days before your visit (approval can take up to 5 days), then claim each trip by midnight the day after. An unregistered Blue Badge visit can still get a Parking Charge Notice.
Source: londoncityairport.com · checked
- Black taxis
- Registered London black taxis pay £7 for 0–5 minutes (not £8), then £1 a minute, and may add £6 to the meter towards the charge following a TfL consultation.
Source: londoncityairport.com · checked
- Byelaws
- The London City Airport Byelaws 1988 are in force, and the drop-off terms say the airport's roads, including the drop-off zone, are regulated by traffic orders and the byelaws. A byelaw breach is a criminal matter for the magistrates' court, separate from a Parking Charge Notice.
Source: londoncityairport.com · checked
How London City compares on price
London City alongside the 5 airports nearest to it in headline drop-off price, cheapest first - and the free alternative at each. Compare all 28 UK airports.
Swipe the table sideways to see who enforces each charge and what a missed payment costs →
| Airport | Drop-off from | Time included | Free alternative | Enforced by | If you don't pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ExeterBarrier | £8 | 15 min | Car Park P4 is free for up to 30 minutes | Airport (byelaws) | Paid at the barrier - byelaw breaches go to court, not a PCN |
| Leeds BradfordBarrier | £8 | 10 min | the One Hour Free Parking Zone inside the Mid Stay car park is free for up to an hour - leave within the hour or the full day rate applies - about a five-minute walk to the terminal (follow the red "Mid Stay & 1 Hour Free" signs from Whitehouse Lane) | Third party (named on notice) | Paid at the barrier - a charge means a no-stopping PCN |
| London CityCameras | £8 | 5 min | the DLR reaches the terminal directly, so public transport avoids the forecourt charge | APCOA | £100 (£60 within 14 days) for overstaying; non-payment PCN amount not published |
| NorwichBarrier | £8 | 20 min | there is no free drop-off option - drop-off and pick-up are only allowed inside Car Park 1, and stopping anywhere else on the airport roads risks a Vehicle Control Services charge | Vehicle Control Services | Paid at the barrier - a charge means a no-stopping PCN |
| SouthendCameras | £8 | 10 min | there is no official free drop-off - and the neighbouring retail park is separate private land with its own terms, so parking there to avoid the fee is not a safe workaround | Vehicle Control Services | PCN amount not published; £100 for stopping on the red route |
| BristolBarrier | £8.50 | 10 min | the Waiting Zone is free for up to an hour - but leaving and re-entering it within 30 minutes brings a Parking Charge Notice | VCS or APCOA | £100 (£60 within 14 days) for stopping in restricted areas |
Headline kerbside drop-off prices, each verified against the airport’s own published tariff or a dated published guide. The oldest figure in this table was last checked . Longer stays cost more, and several airports raised prices twice in 2026 - confirm on the airport’s site before you travel. “Cameras” means you pay online afterwards (miss it and you get a Parking Charge Notice); “Barrier” means you pay on exit.
Grounds for challenging a London City drop-off charge
Pick the ground that genuinely fits - a focused, evidenced argument beats a scattergun one.
- Airport forecourts and access roads are frequently not "relevant land" under Schedule 4 of the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, so the operator often cannot hold the registered keeper liable and must identify the actual driver - a strong ground where you were not driving or will not be named.
- A genuine payment was made or attempted within the deadline - keep the card statement line, the app confirmation, or a photo of the payment screen and its timestamp.
- The ANPR cameras misread your registration, or logged a missed entry/exit, producing the wrong vehicle or an impossible duration.
- You did not actually stop - a drop-off charge applies to stopping in the zone, not to driving through, and cameras can wrongly capture a vehicle that only passed.
- The signage did not clearly display the charge and its terms where you could read and accept them before entering the zone, so no contract was formed.
How to appeal, step by step
- 1
Check which notice you have
Confirm whether it is a drop-off Parking Charge Notice (for example a missed online payment), a no-stopping/red-route charge, or a council or byelaw matter, and note exactly which company or body issued it. The issuer's trade body decides the escalation route.
- 2
Gather your evidence
Collect the notice, your registration, the date and time, any payment proof (card statement, app confirmation, screenshot with a timestamp), and - if you can - a photo of the signage and the charge it displayed.
- 3
Pick the strongest ground
Choose the ground that fits - the Protection of Freedoms Act "relevant land" point, a payment you did make, an ANPR misread, that you did not actually stop, or unclear signage.
- 4
Appeal within the deadline
Appeal to APCOA Parking within 28 days; if it is rejected you can escalate free to POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals), as APCOA Parking is a BPA member. Do not pay while you intend to appeal - paying is treated as accepting the charge.
- 5
Generate your appeal letter with AppealIQ
Enter the details and your chosen ground, and AppealIQ writes a formal, persuasive appeal letter for your London City charge. Your first letter each calendar month is free; after that, extra letters are £2.99 each, paid once - there is no subscription.
London City drop-off charges - frequently asked questions
I forgot to pay the London City drop-off charge - what happens now?
The charge has to be paid by midnight the day after your visit, through the APCOA website. London City’s terms say that failing to pay by then results in a Parking Charge Notice. The airport doesn’t publish the amount for a missed payment - its £100 figure is for staying longer than 10 minutes. At a camera-enforced drop-off the notice is posted to the registered keeper. If you think you have grounds, appeal before paying - paying is usually treated as accepting the charge. Appeal to APCOA Parking within 28 days; if it is rejected you can escalate free to POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals), as APCOA Parking is a BPA member. To avoid it next time, a personal drop-off account can take the charge automatically with AutoPay.
How much is the drop-off charge at London City?
£8 for up to 5 minutes, then £1/min up to 10 minutes (from January 2026 - drop-off is no longer free). Drop-off fees change frequently - that was the rate when we last checked (27 September 2026), so always confirm the current price on the airport's official website. There is a free alternative: the DLR reaches the terminal directly, so public transport avoids the forecourt charge.
Why did I get a Parking Charge Notice at London City?
London City’s Terminal Drop-off Zone is camera-monitored with no barrier: you pay online, by automated phone or with AutoPay by midnight on the day after your visit. Miss that, drop off anywhere else on airport property, or use the Blue Badge concession without registering, and a Parking Charge Notice can be issued. The only amount the airport publishes is for overstaying the 10-minute maximum: £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
Can I appeal a London City drop-off Parking Charge Notice?
Yes. Appeal to APCOA Parking within 28 days; if it is rejected you can escalate free to POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals), as APCOA Parking is a BPA member. Never pay if you intend to appeal - paying is usually treated as accepting the charge. Strong grounds include the Protection of Freedoms Act "relevant land" point, a payment you did make, an ANPR misread, or that you did not actually stop.
Can AppealIQ write my London City appeal letter?
Yes. Enter the charge details and the ground that fits, and AppealIQ drafts a formal, persuasive appeal letter to APCOA (or for POPLA). Your first letter each calendar month is free; after that, extra letters are £2.99 each, paid once - there is no subscription.
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AppealIQ generates draft letters to assist your appeal. It is not legal advice. An airport drop-off charge is a private Parking Charge Notice - a contract dispute, not a statutory council fine - so always use the operator's appeal channel and the reference printed on your notice, and mind the deadline.