TEESSIDE Airport has been slammed for scrapping three hours free car parking and instead replacing it with a £2.50 charge for just 15 minutes.

Furious customers have hit back after the charges were quietly introduced on Wednesday, almost a year after the Tees Valley Mayor said there were "no plans" to increase fees.

The move has been described as "outrageous," while some have pointed out three hours worth of car parking will now cost as much as £19.

Ben Houchen, and the airport's managing director Phil Forster, have since defended the introduction of parking, saying its charges remain the most "competitive" in the area.

The move comes just months after Mr Houchen said its £6 controversial passenger facility fee, charged to every passenger, would be scrapped in June as airport finances had improved. 

According to its official website, it now costs visitors £2.50 for up to 15 minutes parking, £5 for the first hour, and then £7 an hour thereafter.

The Northern Echo:

Before Wednesday, parking charges only started after the first three hours, with the tariff beginning at £5 for up to eight hours, rising to £23 for 24 hours.

But on social media concerns were raised with the newly-introduced charges with one person critical of the "hefty" minimum charge.

One person said: "Shame, though inevitable, to see Teesside Airport join almost every other airport with some hefty parking fees including charging for drop offs.

"Three hours free parking is no more, now costs £19! £2.50 to drop off is pricey - especially with very few public transport alternatives."

Meanwhile the airport was this morning forced to defend its parking charges after a customer called the move outrageous.

The customer said: "Gobsmacked by the outrageous charge for our next door neighbour to drop us off at the airport. Made me very grumpy."

The Northern Echo: The car park at Teesside Airport Picture: NICK GULLONThe car park at Teesside Airport Picture: NICK GULLON

Responding to the customer on social media, the airport said there had been a review of charges, while it claimed to be the cheapest in the North East and Yorkshire.

It also said that those using the newly-opened, Landside Cafe would see their first two hours of parking at the terminal made free.

The wider impact of the new charges are yet to be seen as the airport is set to see the return of a viewing platform, which will rely heavily on visitors not flying out.

The move is a change in direction following comments from the Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen, who last year told The Northern Echo, there were "no plans" to scrap free parking. 

He said that despite a "difficult few months" in lockdown, visitors would continue to have three hours free as a "great incentive" for people to use the airport.

Read more: Ben Houchen says "no plan" to increase parking fees at Teesside Airport

That was in response to criticism suffered by Newcastle Airport which had at the time raised the prices of its 'Express Car Park,' with people forced to pay £3 for ten minutes.

At the time, Mr Houchen said: “I am proud to continue to offer visitors three hours of free parking, giving them a great incentive to use their local airport."

Read more: Teesside Airport's 'hated' passenger facility fee to be scrapped within WEEKS

Meanwhile it was only confirmed in April this year, that a charge introduced in 2010 by the airport's previous owners Peel, was to be scrapped before the summer period.

Part of his election pledge, Mr Houchen said the 'hated' £6 passenger facility fee would be abolished once the airport's finances had improved.

At the time, he said that money lost from the passenger fee is "more than offset" by the finances from the arrival of Ryanair and Loganair.

But responding this afternoon, Mr Houchen said the return of a number of flights had helped the airport scrap the £6 fee, but said it was still working hard to "turn the airport's finances around."

The Northern Echo:

Mr Houchen moved to say that the airport still offered the "most competitive" prices for drop-off visitors, saying Newcastle and Leeds Bradford charging £3 and Manchester, £5.

He said: “People have rightly pointed out that some other airports have free drop-offs miles away from the terminal, it would be the equivalent for us of people getting dropped off in Middleton St George and walking.

“We have made so much progress thanks to the fantastic team at the airport, over the past eight months we have welcomed Loganair, TUI, Ryanair along with securing partnerships with British Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines and Qatar Airways.

"These increased flights have helped us to scrap the fee, but we are still working hard to turn the airport’s finances around.

“Let’s not forget, if we had not bought the airport and saved it from closure the airport would be demolished by now and houses would be flying up as part of a 350-home housing estate on this car park.”

The Northern Echo:

Phil Forster, Managing Director at Teesside Airport, explained that parking charges at drop-off had also been introduced to help keep traffic at the terminal moving smoothly.

He said: “Sustainability is a key factor in creating an airport that Teesside can be proud of once again and after a full review we have decided to introduce these charges which are incredibly competitive for airports in the North.

“Fees like these are commonplace across the entire aviation industry and as we continue to grow our airport they will remain under review to make sure our passengers are getting the best value for money.

“Due to the anticipated increased footfall as our airline partners continue to introduce new routes on a regular basis, we have decided to implement a dedicated drop-off zone. This will help keep traffic moving smoothly and keep passengers safe. The drop-off fee will be used to help pay for the upkeep of the area.”