How long is too long for a cuddle? For some, anything longer than a few seconds and things get awkward. For others, three minutes might feel like the perfect amount of time to squeeze in all those emotions before a big goodbye. But at Dunedin Airport, three minutes is now your max at the drop-off zone, whether you’re a quick hugger or one who lingers a little too long. After that, it’s a friendly reminder to head over to the car park for a more drawn-out farewell. So, why the strict cuddle cap?
According to Dunedin Airport CEO, Daniel De Bono (who has confirmed that he is, in fact, a hugger), it’s not about policing affection, but rather ensuring smooth traffic flow and safety.
“We thought we’d have a bit of fun with this,” De Bono told Radio NZ, highlighting that messaging at airports can often be stern. “You know, you’re going to get fined, you’re going to get clamped… we just tried to have a bit of fun with it.” And fun is exactly how they’re handling this quirky new rule.
“It’s caused quite a stir,” De Bono said.
“People have been going, ‘Oh, you can’t, you can’t tell us how long we can have a hug for’!”
The sweet spot for goodbye hugs
So, why three minutes? Well, for De Bono and his team, it struck a balance between a heartfelt goodbye and practicality.
“Airports are kind of hot beds of emotion,” he said.
The drop-off zone, now returned to its original location after the terminal expansion project, needed to be managed better. The airport noticed that lingering goodbyes were clogging the area, leaving little room for other travellers to get their last-minute hugs in.
“Too many people were spending too much time with fond farewells in the drop-off zone, and there’s no space left for others,” De Bono said.
For those needing a bit more than a quick squeeze, there’s good news: the car park offers a whopping 15 minutes of free parking. So if three minutes just isn’t enough for your emotional send-off, you can head there for some uninterrupted hug time.
Science says 20 seconds is enough
Worried about shortchanging our loved ones? De Bono shared a fun hug fact: “It turns out you need 20 seconds to get the oxytocin and serotonin release from a hug,” he said.
“Anything less, and you don’t get that happy hormone release; anything longer and you get into the awkward territory.
“I feel like 10 seconds is good,” De Bono joked, adding that anything longer can start to feel a bit, well, uncomfortable. “You’ve got to get the balance right.”
“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 spend longer, move into the car park and provide space for others to do their 20 second happy hormone hug.”
So, while three minutes might sound like a tight window, scientifically speaking, you can get all the emotional goodness you need in just 20 seconds.
“We’re not going to call the hug police.”
What happens if you overstay your welcome in the drop-off zone? Well, nothing too dramatic. “If they exceed the three minutes, our team will ask them to politely move on to the car park,” De Bono assured. After all, they just want to create space for everyone to have their moment.
So, whether you’re a quick-hug kind of person or someone who enjoys a drawn-out goodbye, Dunedin Airport has got you covered. Three minutes in the drop-off zone, or a generous 15 minutes in the car park – the choice is yours.
