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New Zealand Airport Hugs
A sign informing time limits for visitors to the passenger drop-off area outside Dunedin Airport in Momona, New Zealand, Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024. Travelers wanting to embrace for longer can relocate to the parking lot. (Sarah Soper/Dunedin Airport via AP)

New Zealand airport imposes cuddle cap with 3-minute limit on goodbye hugs to avoid traffic jams

Travelers leaving the New Zealand city of Dunedin will have to keep their emotional farewells brief after a new three-minute time limit was imposed on goodbye hugs in the airport’s drop-off area in order to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams

By CHARLOTTE GRAHAM-McLAY
Published - Oct 21, 2024, 07:00 PM ET
Last Updated - Dec 16, 2024, 06:09 PM EST

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Emotional farewells are a common sight at airports, but travelers leaving the New Zealand city of Dunedin will have to be quick. A new three-minute time limit on goodbye hugs in the airport's drop-off area is intended to prevent lingering cuddles from causing traffic jams.

“Max hug time three minutes,” warn signs outside the terminal, adding that those seeking “fonder farewells” should head to the airport’s parking lot instead.

The cuddle cap was imposed in September to “keep things moving smoothly” in the redesigned passenger drop-off area outside the airport, CEO Dan De Bono told The Associated Press on Tuesday. It was the airport’s way of reminding people that the zone was for “quick farewells” only.

The signs had polarized social media users, De Bono said.

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