A New Zealand airport’s hug limit has sparked controversy

At airports, emotional goodbyes tend to be a common occurence and sometimes these goodbyes can last for more than a few minutes. The Dunedin Airport in New Zealand has put up signs imposing a three-minute hug limit in the airport’s drop-off area, to encourage passengers to move along.
“Max hug time 3 minutes,” reads a sign posted outside the airport’s terminal. “For fonder farewells please use the car park.”
According to Time, the limit was established in September to “keep things moving smoothly” in the airport’s drop-off area, which was recently redesigned.
CEO Dan De Bono said the sign is how the airport reminds passengers and loved ones that the area is only for “quick farewells.”
According to The Associated Press, the limit was added to help reduce traffic jams.
There is limited space in the drop-off zone, and when people spend too long saying goodbye to their loved ones, there isn’t space for others, per USA Today.
De Bono told AP that three minutes is plenty of time to “pull up, say farewell to your loved ones and move on. The time limit is really a nicer way of saying, you know, get on with it.”
The airport decided to put up the signs as opposed to putting up signs that warn “of wheel clamping or fines for drivers parked in drop-off areas,” like some other airports have, per AP.
De Bono told AP that the airport doesn’t have “hug police” — people don’t need to worry about “unduly enforcement.”
“We’re not here to tell people how long they should hug for. It’s more the message of please move on. If you’re going to take longer, move to the car park,” De Bono said, according to USA Today.
People have been open about their opinions about the time limit, per USA Today.
According to Time, “The signs had polarized social media users.” De Bono said, “We were accused of breaching basic human rights and how dare we limit how long someone can have a hug for.”
De Bono cited a study, saying “only 20 seconds is needed for people to feel the release of oxytocin, or the ‘cuddle hormone,’” per AP.
Some people have taken to X to share their opinion on the hug limit.