DRIVERS will be charged for dropping off passengers at Gatwick, as the airport tries to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

Motorists will have to pay a £5 charge to leave people directly outside the terminals and the money will be used to preserve jobs at the airport.

Currently, cars are permitted to drop off passengers directly in front of both terminals but this will change with the charge introduced next year.

Chief commercial officer Jonathan Pollard said: “Gatwick has just gone through the most challenging period in its history and this new drop off charging scheme will give us a new revenue stream to aid recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.

"Ultimately it will help us continue as an important provider of economic prosperity and jobs across the region.

At the moment, people picking up passengers are required to use the short stay car park, although this does not always happen, and some people use the forecourt to pick up.

No date has been set to introduce the new charging system but the first step includes a consultation on the implementation of a "red route" system.

The system will be introduced across the airport site, prohibiting drivers stopping to park, load or unload board or alight from a vehicle.

Members of the public who want to avoid the charge will be able to drop-off or pick-up passengers in the airport’s long-stay car parks, with two hours free parking and a free shuttle bus to the terminals.

Mr Pollard added: "Gatwick is also committed to promoting sustainable travel and this new scheme will encourage passengers to consider more sustainable transport options.

"These include public transport services or parking options at the airport, which only involves two single car trips, compared to two return trips when dropping off.

“The airport already has strong public transport links and we will build on this with a proportion of the revenue raised supporting new sustainable transport initiatives.

"We will also continue to fund our share of the ongoing project to build a new £150 million airport train station.”

The UK's second-largest airport benefits from public transport links, with recent improvements enabling a train leaving for London every three to four minutes.

Airport officials say a £4 million upgrade to an airport bus interchange benefitting the 3 million people who use it each year.

Around 650 local services arrive and depart the bus interchange each week, many of them 24-hour services.