New Zealand airport puts bizzarre time limit on how long you can hug someone

When people go to drop their friends and relatives at the airport they often send them off with a warm hug. Such a moment of affection can last for more minutes than expected. However, this airport in New Zealand is having none of it as they have established a time limit on how long you can hug someone at the drop-off zone of the airport. This has sparked some serious debate on the internet after a woman on Facebook, Julie Ann, shared the image on her page.

A signboard was placed outside the Dunedin Airport of New Zealand by the end of September 2024 that announced how people would be allowed to hug and say goodbye to travelers in under 3 minutes only, per the airport's press release. The airport is located in Momona and the signboard reads:  “Max hug time 3 minutes. For fonder farewells, please use the car pack.” Daniel De Bono, the CEO of the airport, explained the real reason behind placing the sign. “We’ve recently relocated our drop-off zone to improve safety and traffic flow at Dunedin Airport. To keep things moving smoothly, we’ve installed new signage, including the 'Max hug time 3 minutes' sign,” De Bono told PEOPLE. "It’s our way of being a little quirky and reminding people that the drop-off zone is for quick farewells.” 

“And don’t worry – just a 20-second hug is enough to release oxytocin and serotonin, the happy hormones that boost well-being, so three minutes is plenty of time to say goodbye and get your dose of happiness! For longer farewells, we encourage using the car park, where the first 15 minutes are free,” he mentioned further, adding that he had also spoken about this sign during an interview session with Radio New Zealand. De Bono had told the radio show that the "signs were designed with a little bit of fun in mind" because the drop-off points at the airports can be "quite intense."

De Bono also acknowledged that he understands why the sign "caused a stir" because people are obviously not happy being told "how long they can have a hug for." “There’s only so much space we have in that drop-off area. Too many people are spending too much time with their fonder farewells in the drop-off zone and there’s no space for others," De Bono shared. In case someone fails to follow the rules at the airport, there won't be any major consequences. But the "violators" will be asked to "politely move on to the car park" area to bid their farewells for as long as they want to. “It’s nothing more than that, we’re not going to call the hug police. That would be bonkers,” De Bono concluded.

However, fellow Facebook users who saw Ann's post were raging in the comment section. Marysia Vluggen wrote, "You can’t put a time limit on hugs! That’s inhumane." Garry Edwards supported the idea and commented, "I love it. It shows warmth and compassion. At my local airport, it would be 'you can't stop there' - there's a £100 ($130) fine if you stop and a minimum of £5.00 ($6.50) to drop someone off in the drop-off zone. I love Nice Airport - they have 'Kiss and Fly.'" John Anderson quipped, "This got me thinking. Who are the people I would hug for 3 minutes? There are very few, mostly family and a dear long-time friend. But despite the humor of this sign, it’s something to think about. Life is short."