To reduce airport congestion and traffic, New Zealand’s Dunedin Airport has introduced a quirky policy – ​​3-minute departures. Meaning, from now on its passengers will have a three-minute time limit for a farewell hug at the drop-off zone. The main objective of the policy is to maintain smooth traffic flow.

There are many signs posted on airport walls informing people bidding farewell to loved ones that the new rule is “Maximum hug time three minutes” or “Saying goodbye is hard, so hurry up. Maximum 3 minutes”.

Details of the policy were shared by airport CEO Dan De Bono. He said that this decision has been taken to avoid traffic jams due to long departures. According to De Bono, the three-minute limit was seen as a more mild-mannered alternative to stricter measures. “There’s still plenty of time to move on, say goodbye and move on,” he said.

The CEO further said that a 20-second hug is enough to trigger the release of health-boosting hormones like oxytocin and serotonin, which can help people feel more connected. He joked that prolonged embraces could be “really awkward”.

While clarifying that enforcement would be limited to reminders to the people, he also mentioned that there would be no hug police.

Dunedin, located in the south-east of the island, is one of the southernmost cities in the world and is home to a population of 134,600 (as of 2023). According to its annual report, more than 900,000 passengers used its airport through 2024.

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