Travellers slapped with new fee at Heathrow Airport; adding more travel expenses

People coming to drop off or receive their loved ones at Heathrow Airport must be aware of the hefty fine they could face.

This is the result of the new Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) rules, which have expanded across London, including the Heathrow Airport. Motorists driving through the ULEZ zones whose vehicles do not meet minimum emission standards, must now pay a daily charge or risk a bigger fine.

Heathrow Airport has confirmed that passengers whose non-ULEZ-compliant vehicle is moved or transferred while parked at the Heathrow Airport will have to pay a £12.50 charge to enter the zone and will pay again each time the vehicle is moved within the charge area. This is in addition to other airport fees such as the £5 drop-off charge.

Heathrow's statement

"The initiative, implemented by Transport for London (TfL), is aimed at reducing air pollution in London, therefore all vehicles entering the airport must meet certain emissions standards in order to avoid paying a daily charge.

"The daily charge for non-compliant vehicles is £12.50 for most vehicles, including cars, vans, and motorcycles. The charge will be in addition to any other fees or charges associated with entering the airport. The charge only applies when a vehicle is driven within the ULEZ zone, and does not apply to stationary vehicles including when cars are parked at Heathrow," said Heathrow in a statement.

It means, travellers who leave their vehicles at the Heathrow airport will only pay £25 for two trips inside the ULEZ and not over the course of their entire holiday.

The biggest and the busiest airport in the UK also confirmed that if a person books Meet & Greet or Valet Parking with a non-compliant vehicle, and has selected a different exit terminal to their entry terminal, they will be liable for payment of an ULEZ charge to transfer their vehicle to another terminal.

What is ULEZ?

The Ultra-Low Emissions Zone was first introduced in April 2019 to tackle poor air quality in London. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except Christmas Day) and requires drivers of vehicles that do not meet emissions standards to pay a daily charge.

A daily charge of £12.50 means, people whose vehicles do not comply with the ULEZ will have to pay £87.50 per week or £375 per month to use their vehicle every day.

To comply with ULEZ rules, petrol cars must generally have been first registered after 2005, while most diesel cars registered after September 2015 are also exempt from the charge.