Dunedin Airport in New Zealand has stirred up a debate after asking travelers to limit their hug time to three minutes to reduce traffic congestion in its drop-off zone.
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The airport introduced a sign in late September that reads, “Max hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells please use the car park,” prompting reactions from the public.
Airport CEO Daniel De Bono told Radio New Zealand that the humorous approach was meant to improve traffic flow, but it “caused quite a stir.”
“We’ve got quite a bit of conversation going. They’re going, ‘Oh, you can’t tell us how long we can ever hug for,’” De Bono said.
Online, opinions were divided. Some agreed that three minutes was enough time for a quick goodbye, while others questioned the need for such a rule.
“It’s hilarious. But 3 min is long enough… go to the parking lot,” one Reddit user commented. Meanwhile, another TikTok user asked, “Should we really be putting a time limit on something as meaningful as a hug?”
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De Bono explained that the fun message was all about crowd control. “Too many people are spending too much time with their fonder farewells in the drop-off zone, and there’s no space left for others,” he said.
Despite the new rule, De Bono assured travelers that the airport won’t enforce it too strictly. “We’re not going to call the hug police. That would be bonkers,” he added.
