Another year, another hike in the airport drop-off charge.
It’s almost become part of the ritual as we move through the New Year – write ‘24’ instead of ‘23’; exercise more; make sure there’s an extra pound in the bank account for the airport run.
It feels steep doesn’t it? I’ve had pals visiting this past weekend from London and for the pleasure of collection and return I’ve added another £11 for guest services.
It’s easy to see why so many think of it as an easy way for the airport to make a few extra pennies.
They enjoyed a trip where we sampled Aberdeen culinary delights in Yorokobi. Where we took a drive up to Braemar to the Fife Arms and Balmoral. Where we enjoyed Duthie Park, the Winter Gardens, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Union Terrace Gardens.
But their final memory of the city will be me huffing about in my wallet looking for the debit card with the spare £5.50 on it.
Operational costs have been cited as the reason for the annual uplift, but, as anyone who goes to the airport regularly will know, it’s hard to see where the money goes.
Often at least one of the three gates doesn’t appear to be in operation upon attempting to exit the drop-off.
Aberdeen airport drop-off charge makes for a frustrating experience
The whole thing creates a frustrating experience, one which makes it hard to reconcile the high price.
But there’s also a lack of other options for efficient travel to and from the airport, particularly when the price for the drop-off has been passed onto cabs. The buses are fine, but again not cheap, and are only really helpful to people who live on the bus route.
It’s easy to understand why folk who have access to cars choose to use them, and then feel treated as cash cows when they do.
On taking the train from Aberdeen to Inverness and back recently it occurred to me that there’s a possible solution for this at hand, and one that doesn’t appear discussed all that much, although it did come up during the run-up to the 2022 City Council election.
Dyce train station is less than half a mile from the airport terminal as the crow flies.
From it, I can hear and see the planes. I can see the runways and the airport infrastructure. Were I to close my eyes in my Scotrail seat, as the planes roared above me, I could perhaps pretend I was jetting off to sunnier climes.
I can’t reach the airport from Dyce or even get near it without a great deal of effort
Yet, I cannot reach the airport from Dyce, or get near it, without a great deal of effort, or a car. I would have to go 20 minutes back toward the city, to then return to the terminal via a different bus.
It all leads to the thought that another transport link from Dyce, or the City Centre, to the airport by rail would be revolutionary for the city.
A comfier, faster and easier ride for citizens and tourists alike, it seems like a no-brainer, especially if it popped in by P&J live on the way.
It’s exactly the sort of transformative thinking that are the hallmarks of cities across the world, that are serious about improvements for those who live in them, and those who visit.
While we’re at it, why not consider making such a link free? I love the Edinburgh trams, and the ease of getting from Haymarket to Edinburgh airport, but they don’t half cost a bit.
Tallinn and Valetta have experimented with free public transport for much of their networks. Other cities, Gothenburg and Reykjavik include the use of public transport in city-wide passes for tourists, which also offer discounts or free entry to museums.
The trusty 727 could still run, perhaps taking a different route out of the city to complement a rail link and give wider service.
The Shire would feel better connected to the airport via stations at Huntly, Insch, Kintore and Inverurie, as they’d be able to continue right to the door, and onto the plane.
Think big, think outside the box, and make it easy for people to come here, and to get away once they’ve had their fill.
Then when the airport charges £5.50 for drop off people will feel they have an alternative transport choice and maybe leave the car at home, at least some of the time. And I can stop subjecting my mates to my moaning, for at least part of their break.
Colin Farquhar works as a creative spaces manager and film programmer in the north-east culture sector
Conversation