THE price of Bournemouth Airport’s controversial drop-off charge will increase from today.

As part of a rise in parking charges across the board at the airport, the much-criticised fee will increase by 50 pence from £2.50 to £3 for the first 30 minutes of parking.

Bosses at Bournemouth Airport have cited “rising business costs” as the reason behind the parking charge increases.

Up to one hour of parking will rise from £4.60 to £4.80, with two hours increasing from £7.10 to £7.30.

Three hours will now cost £8.30 - up 20 pence - and four hours will rise to £9.50 from £9.20.

To park for 24 hours it will now cost you £26, and after 24 hours it will be £21 a day.

Paul Knight, Bournemouth Airport’s managing director said: “In order to meet rising business costs, from April 1, the first 30 minutes of parking at Bournemouth Airport will cost £3.

“This is the first increase to this parking cost in five years and will help us to ensure that everyone living in the area can continue to enjoy the benefits of using their local airport.

“Parking at the airport is still very competitive when compared to other airports in the region and passengers who book their space in advance can get great value parking.”

When the drop-off charge was introduced in 2011, many unhappy passengers hit out at the extra cost incurred by scrapping the free 10-minute period.

It led to many people parking in nearby country lanes or dropping off on roads in the vicinity to avoid the charges.

And a recent bid to provide a meet and greet parking service by independent operator BOMO Parking has been criticised by the airport.

The revised plans for the service, which would rival Bournemouth Airport’s facilities, would use part of nearby Adventure Wonderland’s car park to supply 75 spaces, if approved.

The scheme would see the company collect customers’ cars from the airport and take them to the theme park site, before meeting the passenger on their return with the vehicle.

But airport officials have hit out at the proposed service saying meet and greet companies are “completely unregulated.”

Yesterday, passengers had their say on the increase.

Rob Cowe, of Branksome, said he thought it was “disgusting”.

“You can’t it stop can you. They’ve got us. It’s terrible but we haven’t got any option.”

Paul Williams, 35, said the parking charges wouldn’t stop him using Bournemouth.

“We fly according to whatever the most available flight is to where we live,” he said. “It wouldn’t make a difference.”

Alex McMillan, 37, of Dorchester, said: “I wouldn’t say I was massively bothered by it. If we were lucky enough to be picked up I don’t think it would be too unreasonable.”

Last summer, annual results from Manchester Airports Group, the owner of Bournemouth Airport, anticipated a growth in passenger numbers this year from the existing 700,000.

But this was ahead of Flybe withdrawing their routes in November, leaving Ryanair, EasyJet, Thomson and new airline Loloflights.