12 hours Ago By Alexander Mitchell
Dunedin Airport (DUD), a relatively small airport serving the South Island of New Zealand, has captured global attention recently when the facility installed new signage near its drop-off area which imposes a new—and rather controversial—time limit on pre-departure hugs. The sign, which has spawned online debate from across the globe, has imposed a three-minute limit on hugs in the drop-off zone, encouraging passengers looking for a "fonder farewell" to use the adjacent parking lots. Get all the latest aviation news from Simple Flying! Considering how small of a facility Dunedin Airport is, it may seem like this is a simple ask, which will hopefully avoid further traffic buildup in the drop-off area and improve the passenger experience .
After all, the airport only features a single terminal, which only sees a few flights per week , and the parking lot is simply not that far away. Nonetheless, the online debate that resulted from this new three-minute hug limit has exploded across the internet, with commenters on multiple different platforms arguing that time limits should certainly not be set on hugs. However, the airport's officials have stood by the new policy, arguing that those in need of extra time for a farewell are free to use the adjacent parking lots.
Why was this policy enacted? In the United States, almost every airport has a dedicated "kiss-and-fly" drop-off , where loved ones can quickly say goodbye to a departing loved one. However, these drop-off zones are famously overused, and the excessive stopping in these areas is a major factor that contributes to airport congestion. After being searched by officials, no suspicious activity was found.
The airport has been quick to note that the primary reasons behind this change have been safety-related. In an interview with New Zealand's RNZ radio , the facility's CEO, Daniel De Bono, noted that airports are "hotbeds of emotion," and, as a result, are often places where basic rules about space utilization are often overlooked. Nonetheless, De Bono believes that asking passengers to use the 1,200-car parking lot is not too much to ask, especially as free 15-minute parking is already available for all passengers.
He had the following memorable words to share regarding how some have used this 15-minute grace period: “Our team have seen interesting things go on ...
over the years.” At the end of the day, the massive parking lot is always bound to have some open space available, given the fact that only around 900,000 passengers pass through the facility each year, according to Business Insider . Furthermore, the farthest parking spot from the terminal only sits about 400 meters away from the front doors.
So what's the bottom line here? At the end of the day, it appears that the online outrage and media excitement over what seems like a rather reasonable policy change seems relatively overblown. While it may seem outrageous to pose a limit on how long people are allowed to hug, the limit disappears if one takes the smallest amount of effort to move to the parking lot. De Bono and the team at Dunedin Airport are not really in the business of policing your time.
Feel free to say goodbye to your loved ones however you would like, as long as it is done in the parking lot..
