The airport, serving a university town of around 135,000 residents, welcomes fewer than 1 million passengers annually.
Marrakech – Wellington, New Zealand, an airport located at the southernmost tip of New Zealand’s South Island, has ignited a heated debate by implementing a time limit on hugs in its drop-off area.
According to the airport’s chief executive, Dan De Bono, three minutes – the new time limit at Dunedin Airport – is plenty of time to unleash the happy hormones that come from a good hug, as he shared in a phone interview with the Washington Post.
To illustrate his point, the 40-year-old Dunedin native shared that he timed himself earlier that day, completing the full three minutes in front of an audience of airport staff.
He admitted the hug started to feel a bit awkward after just 20 seconds, and he fought the urge to break free, stating, “I’m not a big hugger. Twenty seconds tops for me.”
Dunedin, often referred to as the “Edinburgh of the South” for its stone castle and chilly winters, has residents who are generally more open to physical displays of affection than their Scottish ancestors.
According to De Bono, they extend a “warm southern welcome” to visitors exploring the country’s stunning natural landscapes.
Traffic has become increasingly congested during peak times, De Bono noted. To address this, airport staff came up with the hug-limit plan as a playful way to enhance safety in the drop-off area, helping to prevent risky maneuvers that often occur when frustration sets in over traffic jams.
Initial reactions were largely negative, with some even going as far to label the decision as inhumane.
However, De Bono mentioned that the backlash is easing as the story gains traction in global media, with many highlighting that three minutes is quite generous by international cultural standards.
De Bono stated that Dunedin Airport has no intention of strictly enforcing the time limit, though he humorously suggested the idea of deploying “hug police” with minute timers to hold people accountable.
For those who need longer embraces, he noted that the car park is always available. A sign in the drop-off area even encourages visitors to use this space for “fonder farewells.”
To clarify, he also mentioned that hugs are unlimited inside the terminal.
While De Bono acknowledges that three minutes isn’t the most generous hug limit in the world, pointing out that a nice airport in France offers a five-minute “Kiss and Fly” park – which he called “typical of the French” – he assures that during off-peak hours, the airport turns a blind eye to those who overstay in the drop-off area.
