If you fancy re-enacting a scene from a rom-com, you might want to head to Heathrow, which has introduced an ‘unlimited’ hug time in its terminals.
The airport is living up to its Love Actually name, with a new sign depicting two people hugging in departures, that reads: ‘Max hug time, unlimited. Fond farewells in Departures encouraged.’
It comes after a New Zealand airport introduced an ‘inhumane’ three-minute hug limit in the departure drop-off zone.
The sign cropped up last week at Dunedin International Airport, on the east coast of the South Island, which reads: ‘Max hug time three minutes’, and suggests those seeking ‘fonder farewells’ should head to the airport’s car park.
The ‘cuddle cap’ was intended to ‘keep things running smoothly’ and prevent the build-up of traffic jams, according to CEO Dan De Bono, but has been met with huge backlash.
He told national broadcaster Radio New Zealand that the usual warning messages at drop-off zones can be ‘quite intense’ and include threats to clamp wheels or impose fines.
He hoped the hug warning would be a gentle and light-hearted reminder for people not to linger.
‘We’re trying to have fun with it. It is an airport and those drop-off locations are common locations for farewells,’ Dan explained.
He said there had been issues with people staying parked for too long.
Social media users at the time described it as ‘inhumane’, with many claiming ‘you can’t put a time limit on hugs’. One user wrote: ‘Let humans be humans. We aren’t robots without any emotions.’
In contrast, passengers at Heathrow Airport are reminded that they can ‘linger a little longer’ as part of its commitment to ‘cherishing special connections’.
Heathrow’s Terminal 3 is the romantic setting of Love Actually’s iconic opening scene which hears Hugh Grant utter the words ‘Love, actually is all around’ to describe the arrivals gate.
Unlike some UK airports, Heathrow’s drop-off zone doesn’t impose a time limit on drivers, although a ‘kiss and fly’ charge of £5 still applies.
Free drop-off zones are also available at Heathrow’s Long Stay car parks, where passengers can take a free bus transfer to terminals.
Heathrow Airport announced this week that between June and September, 30.7 million passengers passed through it, bringing the total footfall for the first nine months to 63.1 million.
On July 24 and September 2, Heathrow experienced the busiest departures and busiest arrivals day in the airport’s history, respectively.
The airport said in a statement: ‘Heathrow is committed to bringing warmth to the often hurried airport experience and creating an environment where farewells aren’t rushed, but savoured.’
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