Analysis finds that parking a private jet at UK airport is 'cheaper than parking a car'

Parking a private jet at this UK airport is ‘cheaper than parking a car’.

Drop-off and collection fees at Scottish airports can rival those for private planes in some cases.

It’s $24 to park a car in the drop-off and pick-up zone at Edinburgh’s airport, which is more expensive than a private jet.

This has led to some criticism from one consumer expert.

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At this UK airport, parking a private jet is cheaper than parking a car

Motorists parking at Edinburgh Airport’s drop-off and pick-up zone can expect to pay $24 an hour.

Even stopping for 15 minutes can bring a charge of $9.

As anyone who has done the airport drop-off run knows, 15 minutes is ample time for a drop-off.

But when it comes to pick-ups, there’s a lot more uncertainty – people often end up waiting a long time while their loved ones make their way through passport queues and baggage collection.

So parking a car can add up in terms of cost.

By way of comparison, private jets are charged $0.16 per metric tonne per 15 minutes on the ground.

Last year, when Taylor Swift came to perform for her Eras Tour, she reportedly landed in her Dassault Falcon 7X jet.

As the plane weighs 31.7 tonnes, she would have been charged approximately $20 an hour.

This has angered some consumer rights advocates, and they are now speaking out.

Scott Dixon, a consumer expert who runs The Complaints Resolver website, branded the fees a ‘lucrative cash cow’.

Rod Dennis, the senior policy for the RAC [an automotive services company] spoke to The Times about the controversy.

“It’s little wonder drivers are frustrated by drop-off charges. Something’s clearly gone awry when the cost of dropping someone off at the airport rivals parking a private jet,” he said.

“These increasing charges feel like a penalty for simply helping someone out, especially when the alternatives are so impractical.”

We can’t help but wonder how much money airports in Texas and Florida must be raking in.

Last year, it was revealed that more private jets were flown in these two states in the whole of the EU.

What Edinburgh Airport said in response

In fairness, the comparison is only applicable in terms of parking fees.

There are other fees that come with landing a private jet – landing fees, passenger charges, and departure weight change.

As such, a spokesperson for Edinburgh Airport said the comparison was misleading.

“This is not a like-for-like comparison and the suggestion is extremely misleading,” a spokesperson told Supercar Blondie.

“There’s a variety of factors that come into pricing for aircraft — they are often based at the airport and perform several rotations every day, typically serving hundreds of people per rotation.

“Aircraft are also charged separately for departure and per passenger facilitated.

“Car parking prices are demand-led and vary depending on how far in advance they are booked. To get the lowest possible rate, we always recommend booking early.”

We’ve seen a lot of luxurious jets over the years.

There was this $800,000 Airbus private jet with a bedroom and lounge, and even one that would make billionaires feel ‘guilt-free’.

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