New Zealand airport puts time limits on hugs

Dropping someone off for a flight at Dunedin Airport in New Zealand? Officials would like for you to be quick about it.

The airport has turned heads with a new series of signs limiting hugs in the drop-off zone to three minutes. If you can’t fit your farewell into that truncated time period, it suggests, head to the garage. “Max hug time 3 minutes,” the sign reads. “For fonder farewells please use the car park.”

dunedin airport pic.twitter.com/DxR4DmbhRM
— Em (@dresdendoll) October 21, 2024

If that sounds a bit tongue-in-cheek, it’s deliberate. The CEO of Dunedin Airport (who admits he’s a hugger) told Radio New Zealand the plan was to have a bit of fun with breaking up airport congestion, rather than aggressively approaching the issue.

“We’re trying to have fun with it,” Dan De Bono told the station. “It is an airport and those drop-off locations are common locations for farewells… We’ve caused quite a stir.”

While he laughed at the idea of a “hug police,” De Bono said enforcement won’t be especially strict—but people whose goodbyes last a bit too long will be politely asked to move along.

“We’re not here to tell people how long they should hug for, it’s more the message of please move on and provide space for others,” he said.

As odd as the sign may be, it’s not as unique as you might imagine. Aalborg Airport, in Denmark, asks passengers to keep their goodbyes to three minutes as well, with a sign reading “Kiss and goodbye. No kisses above 3 minutes!”