‘Five to ten seconds appears to be optimal’: the science behind hugs

As an airport limits goodbye cuddles to three minutes, here's a guide to different embraces, and their positive effects

Be it a brief squeeze or a bone-crushing bear hug, few can deny the comfort of a farewell cuddle from a person you love. Yet in an effort to keep traffic flowing at Dunedin international airport on New Zealand's South Island, bosses have decided to impose a three-minute cap on hugging in the airport's drop-off zone.

Passengers wishing to engage in longer and fonder farewells have been instructed to use the car park instead.