Bristol Airport has come under fire after issuing a £100 fine to an 84-year-old pensioner who stopped briefly to ask for directions. Bryan Sealey, a retired British Aerospace engineer, had driven to the airport to pick up his son Gary and family returning from a holiday in Zante on August 10.
Amidst confusion over the airport’s recently redesigned pick-up and drop-off area, Mr Sealey paused momentarily to ask a passer-by for directions. Despite the brief stop, he was fined £100 plus an additional £7 for a 10-minute parking session, drawing criticisms about the airport’s stringent new policies.
The updated layout had only been in place for a few weeks when the incident occurred. Bristol Airport’s pick-up/drop-off charges have already sparked controversy, with prices starting at £7 for 10 minutes, rising to £9 for 20 minutes, and £13 for stays between 20 and 40 minutes.
“He was simply trying to find where to collect us,” said Gary Sealey. “Being fined £100 for that feels completely unfair—an example of extortion rather than reasonable control measures intended to reduce congestion and improve safety.”
Despite lodging an appeal with parking enforcement’s partner, Vehicle Control Services, the family faced a firm rejection. “The signs clearly stated ‘No Stopping,’ and stopping there carries the fine,” the official response indicated.
Gary has now escalated the appeal to the Independent Appeals Service but remains skeptical. “I don’t expect common sense to prevail,” he commented.
Adding to the family’s frustration, the fine was issued on August 15 but only arrived at Mr Sealey’s home on August 27, leaving just two days before the deadline to pay or appeal at a discounted rate of £60. The appeal process is exclusively online, presenting a significant hurdle for his elderly parents who do not use internet-connected devices.
“They support themselves without any smartphones or computers,” Gary explained. “I had to handle the appeal because my parents don’t use the internet, and phone helplines simply redirect callers back to web forms or hang up. It’s a very poor system.”
The airport’s new layout was part of a £60 million transport interchange project, aimed at expanding bus and coach services and improving traffic flow. Gary conceded the changes were largely positive, apart from this distressing experience. “The new setup is a big improvement overall, but this incident has marred the experience and even affected the memory of our holiday.”
Bristol Airport has been contacted for comment.