New Zealand: Airport puts three minute cap on hugs and installs new signs | Travel News | Travel

A New Zealand airport has placed a three minute cap on hugs as people leave their families before flights. Dunedin airport in New Zealand introduced the measure which will apply to the departure drop-off zone.

Airport CEO Daniel De Bono explained the new idea during an interview with Radio New Zealand, he said: “There’s only so much space we have in that drop-off area and too many people are spending too much time on their fonder farewells.”

It has been suggested that those wanting to use more than the three minute limit should use the main car park to say their goodbyes instead.

The three minute hug limit has caught the attention of many people since it was announced but it is not the first time an airport has made a restriction like this.

In Aalborg, Denmark there is also a three minute limit on saying goodbye with signs reading “kiss and goodbye”, reports The Independent.

The new sign at Dunedin airport reads: “Max hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells please use the car park.”

Many have been confused by the new rule and it has caused controversy online with people saying it appears “inhumane”. Authorities claim it is aimed at “improving traffic flow and safety around the terminal” around the drop-off zone.

Mr De Bono claimed he had done some research and discovered he said it only takes “20 seconds to take the oxytocin and serotonin (hormones linked to feeling pleasure) release from a hug”.

Dunedin is located on New Zealand’s South Island and is one of the world’s most southerly cities. Just over 900,000 passengers used its airport in 2024, according to its annual report, says Sky News.

While the idea has received varied responses, some argue that three minutes is enough time to say goodbye.