The airport’s CEO has stated that hugs lasting longer than three minutes can become “really awkward.” While emotional farewells are a common sight at airports, one hub in New Zealand is implementing restrictions on public displays of affection.
Travelers departing from Dunedin, New Zealand, are now subject to a three-minute limit on goodbye hugs in the airport’s drop-off area to prevent long, lingering goodbyes that could disrupt traffic flow.
Outside the terminal, signs proclaim: “Max hug time three minutes,” and advise those wishing for “fonder farewells” to proceed to the airport’s car park, where they can enjoy a generous 15 minutes to say goodbye to their loved ones.
Despite some backlash on social media, with critics labeling the initiative as “inhumane,” CEO Dan De Bono stands by the measure. “We were accused of breaching basic human rights for limiting hug duration,” he told the Associated Press, while noting that many welcomed the change.
De Bono explained that the rule was introduced to “keep things moving smoothly” and to serve as a reminder that the drop-off zone is meant for “quick farewells.” He remarked that facilitating quicker goodbyes allows for more people to have hugs, admitting cryptically to Radio New Zealand (RNZ) that “our team has witnessed interesting events over the years.”
The signs restricting hugs serve as a softer alternative to more severe warnings at other airports, which may threaten wheel clamping or fines for parking in drop-off zones. While some UK airports impose fees for even brief drop-offs, Dunedin Airport, which serves a city of 135,000 on New Zealand’s South Island, opts for a “quirky” method. De Bono remarked that three minutes is “plenty of time to pull up, say farewell, and move on,” emphasizing that the time limit effectively conveys a polite nudge to “get on with it.”
He also noted that a hug lasting 20 seconds is sufficient to release the feel-good hormones oxytocin and serotonin, while anything longer tends to get “really awkward.” Despite the changes, the CEO reassured passengers that there won’t be any enforcement measures: “We do not have hug police.”
Meanwhile, New Zealand media have taken notice of the global attention surrounding the airport. Rova radio station humorously highlighted news anchors struggling with the pronunciation of ‘Dunedin,’ pointing out that one presenter mistakenly referred to it as ‘Dun-din airport,’ when it should actually sound more like “Dun-ee-den.” A Rova reporter noted, “Early this morning, the anchor… bless her, covered the virality of the sign but had a bit of a hard time pronouncing the city’s name,” further amplifying the unusual situation at the transport hub.
Photo credit: Sarah Soper/AP
