1. History
    Early years  1950 to mid-1960s: into the jet age  Late 1960s to 1978: growth pre-deregulation  1978 to 1989: becoming a major hub  1990 to 2013: the influence of US Airways  Future 

2. Features
    Terminal  Parking  Charlotte Air National Guard Base  The Overlook  Carolinas Aviation Museum 

3. Airlines and destinations
    Passenger  Cargo 

4. Statistics
    Top destinations  Airline market share (enplaned passengers)  Annual traffic 

5. Ground transportation
    Bus  Road 

6. Accidents and incidents

7. References

8. External links

As of 2016 it was the 11th busiest airport in the United States, ranked by passenger traffic and 6th by aircraft movements. It was also the 7th busiest airport in the world ranked by aircraft movements^[5] The airport serves as a major gateway to the Caribbean Islands. CLT covers 5,558 acres (2,249 ha) of land.^[1]

History

Early years

The city received Works Progress Administration funding to establish Charlotte's first municipal airport; the airport was, at the time, the largest single WPA project, incorporating a terminal, hangar, beacon tower and three runways.^[6]

In 1936, the Charlotte Municipal Airport opened, operated by the City of Charlotte; Eastern Air Lines began scheduled passenger service in 1937. The original passenger terminal still exists, and is currently used for offices and training rooms by various Aviation-related organizations.

The United States Army Air Forces took control of the airport and established Charlotte Air Base in early 1941, which was renamed Morris Field shortly following the attack on Pearl Harbor. The US military invested more than $5 million in airfield improvements by the time the facility was returned to the City of Charlotte in 1946.^[6] The airfield was used by the Third Air Force for antisubmarine patrols and training.

1950 to mid-1960s: into the jet age

In 1954, a {{convert|70000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} passenger terminal opened and the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport in honor of former Charlotte Mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr., who had overseen the airport's opening 20 years earlier. The terminal had two floors, though passenger operations were confined to the ground floor. Ticketing and baggage claim were on each side of an open space that bisected the building from north to south, and a mezzanine restaurant and airline offices overlooked this open space. Delta Air Lines began scheduled passenger service in 1956. The OAG for April 1957 shows 57 weekday departures on Eastern, 7 Piedmont, 6 Capital, 4 Delta and 2 Southern. Nonstop flights did not reach beyond Newark, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Louisville, Birmingham, and Jacksonville.

Eastern Air Lines began scheduled jet flights with the Boeing 720 in early 1962.^[7] Eastern used the west pier, Piedmont and Delta the center pier, and United and Southern used the east pier.

Late 1960s to 1978: growth pre-deregulation

A major renovation project in the late 1960s expanded the facility considerably. Eastern opened a unit terminal in 1967, replacing the old west pier. This new facility had eight dedicated gates for Eastern, each with its own departure lounge, a snack bar and separate baggage claim space. Eastern passengers continued to check in at the main terminal.

In 1969, a new enclosed concourse was built parallel to the center pier. When it was completed, Piedmont, Eastern, and Delta moved in and the old center pier was demolished. The new concourse also had separate departure lounges, as well as restrooms and an enlarged baggage claim area. United's flights continued to use the east pier, with an enclosed holding room added for waiting passengers. In 1973, Eastern added two more gates to the end of its west concourse.

As of April 1975, the airport had 97 weekday departures to 32 destinations on seven airlines.^[8][9]

1978 to 1989: becoming a major hub

After airline deregulation in 1978, passenger numbers at the terminal nearly doubled between 1978 and 1980, and a new {{convert|10000|ft|m|adj=on}} parallel runway and control tower opened in 1979. The airport's master plan called for a new terminal across the runway from the existing site, with ground broken in 1979. At the time, the airport had only two concourses: one used exclusively by Eastern, and one used by other carriers, including United, Delta, Piedmont, and several commuter airlines.^[10]

In 1979, Piedmont Airlines chose Charlotte as the hub for its expanding route network. To accommodate booming growth, a new {{convert|325000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} passenger terminal designed by Odell Associates opened in 1982, and the airport was renamed Charlotte Douglas International Airport.^[11] Concourses B and C were expanded in 1987 and 1984 respectively, while Concourse A was built in 1986 to handle future growth^[11]

In 1987 Piedmont started non-stop 767 flights to London. In the mid-1980s the old terminal site was converted to a cargo center, and the central concourse and Eastern unit terminal were removed to make way for more cargo buildings. The original main building still stands and is used for office space. The old control tower was removed in the late 1990s. In 1989 Piedmont merged with USAir; the new merged operations kept the USAir name.

1990 to 2013: the influence of US Airways

In 1990, a new {{convert|80000|sqft|m2|adj=on}} international and commuter concourse (Concourse D) opened, and in 1991 further expansion of the central terminal building continued, reflective of USAir's dominating presence at the airport. A monumental bronze statue of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (the namesake of the city), created by Raymond Kaskey, was placed in front of the main terminal.

In 1990, Lufthansa began Boeing 747 service to Germany; this service was, however, discontinued shortly thereafter. In 1994, British Airways began service to London via a "global alliance" with USAir. This was later discontinued, as the airlines chose different alliances (though they now are both in Oneworld). Lufthansa restarted service to Charlotte in 2003 and now operates flights between Charlotte and Munich, utilizing Airbus A340-600 and Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

In 1999, plans were announced for the construction of a regional carrier concourse (present-day Concourse E) and for the expansion of Concourses A and D. This expansion was designed by The Wilson Group and LS3P Associates Ltd.^[12]

In 2002, the new 32-gate Concourse E opened,^[13] and US Airways began non-stop service to Belize, Freeport, Providenciales, Punta Cana, and St. Croix. The airline closed its Concourse D US Airways Club location in 2002.

In 2003, the main ticketing hall was expanded to the east, providing 13 additional ticketing counters and a new security checkpoint; Concourse D was expanded by an additional nine gates. That year, US Airways began service to Costa Rica, Mexico City, and St. Kitts.

Following the 2005 acquisition of US Airways by America West Airlines in a reverse takeover,^[14] Charlotte remained the primary domestic hub for the airline. The majority of US Airways' international routes remained at the airline's second-largest hub, Philadelphia.

Between 2007 and 2015, the airport completed $1.5 billion worth of construction projects, part of which later became known as the "CLT 2015" plan. These projects included a new airport entrance roadway, new hourly parking decks with a centralized rental car facility, a regional intermodal cargo facility, an expansion of the east-side terminal lobby, new checked baggage handling systems, and additional space for concessions and shops.^[15]

Construction of the airport's fourth runway began in the spring of 2007. At {{convert|9000|ft|m}} long, the new "third parallel" allows three independent approaches for arrivals even from the south, potentially increasing capacity by 33 percent. The new runway lies west of the three existing runways. The construction of the fourth runway required the relocation of parts of Wallace Neel Road (which had been the Western boundary of the airport) to an alignment located farther to the west. Construction occurred in two phases. The first phase, which began in March 2007, included grading and drainage. The second phase included the paving and lighting of the runway. In August 2009, crews paved the last section.^[16]

On the morning of November 20, 2008, runway 18R/36L was renumbered runway 18C/36C in anticipation of the upcoming commissioning of the new third parallel runway, which would carry the 18R/36L designation when opened. The runway opened January 6, 2010. The cost for the runway and taxiways was $325 million, with the federal government paying $124 million and the rest funded by a $3 passenger facility charge.^[17] The new runway was initially certified for visual approaches only, but on February 11, 2010, was approved for instrument approaches as well. The runway construction also necessitated rerouting several roads around the airport. Within these plans, a new interchange at the I-485 outerbelt is planned to connect the airport and another relocated road.

On September 28, 2010, construction began on a 60,000-square-foot (5,574 m²) expansion to the eastern side of the existing terminal lobby. The first phase of the terminal expansion officially opened on June 29, 2012 connecting the terminal lobby directly to Concourse E, adding a fifth security checkpoint, and additional lobby and baggage recheck areas. The second phase completed in March 2013 added offices for US Customs and Border Protection and TSA, and expanded space for arrival baggage claim. Upon completion, CLT now has 5 security checkpoints and 20 total security screening lanes.^[15][18]

In July 2013, the North Carolina General Assembly passed a bill, introduced by state Senators Bob Rucho and Bill Brawley in February 2013, transferring possession of the airport to a 13-member regional authority. The bill's sponsors claimed that transferring control to the authority would allow for more efficient operations.^[19] Then-Mayor of Charlotte Patsy Kinsey expressed regret for the decision, saying it would throw the airport into "chaos and instability."^[20] The City of Charlotte was granted a restraining order against the state by Judge Robert Sumner, however, in order to maintain control of the airport. A court date was set for August 1, 2013 to determine the fate of the airport, with former Charlotte mayor Richard Vinroot representing the State as well as the former director of the airport, Jerry Orr.^[21] Orr sent a letter to the City after the passage of the bill saying his "employment as Executive Director of the Airport Authority commenced and (his) employment by the City as Aviation Director terminated", but with the granting of the restraining order, this was interpreted as a resignation by the City and chief financial officer of the airport Brent Cagle was named Acting Director.^[22]

Charlotte Douglas International Airport remains under the control of the city after a October 2014 ruling in Mecklenburg Superior Court.^[23] Judge Robert Ervin ruled in the city's favor, saying that the state overlooked the need to get a federal operating certificate before taking control of the airport from the city.^[24]

With the merger of US Airways and American Airlines in 2013, Charlotte became a fortress hub for the merged airline.

Future

Beginning in November 2013, the airport began studying expansions to the airfield and terminals. The results of these studies, along with other planning by the Aviation Department, resulted in the "Destination CLT" plan and an updated Airport Area Plan that will take the airport through 2035.[https://web.archive.org/web/20170207114940/http://charlottenc.gov/mfs/finance/publications/FY14%20Airport%20Statements.pdf] These plans incorporated the projects that were not yet completed in "CLT 2015", and added an overall vision to the planned growth of the airport. These plans represent a total planned $2.5 billion investment. Planned expansions include new terminal-side roadway and entrance ramps, expanding the remaining terminal lobby, adding gates to Concourses A, B, C, and E, erecting a new food court, remodeling Concourses A, B, and C, and building the long-anticipated Fourth Parallel Runway.^[25]

On May 4, 2015, airport officials formally announced the completion of the "CLT 2015" plan, and kicked off construction under the "Destination CLT" plan.^[26] The first project to begin was a new terminal-side roadway. The new roadway will have two levels with a total of 16 lanes, 8 on each level for arrivals and departures respectively. The roadway is also being built further away from the existing terminal lobby, to allow for another project that will expand the lobby area northward. Pedestrian tunnels will be built to connect Level 1 of the Hourly Parking and Rental Car Deck, to the future terminal expansion. The roadway is expected to complete in 2018.

The airport broke ground on Phase I of a new Concourse A North on February 29, 2016. This concourse was initially envisioned as a separate satellite terminal for international flights, but the airport later found additional domestic gates were needed more than international capacity.^[27] This first phase is estimated to open in Spring 2018 and includes tearing down the old individual rental car buildings, closing the overflow Cell Phone Parking Lot north of the Terminal A ramp, expanding the ramp and taxiways, and building 9 new gates. The second phase will add 16 more gates to the concourse, predicted to open in 2022. Both expansions are estimated to total $500 million financed by airport revenue bonds and future passenger facility charges.^[28]

With the original part of the current terminal built in 1982, and officials felt the terminal needed refreshed. A $55 million remodeling project began in Fall 2016, starting with Concourse A, scheduled to continue then to B, and lastly C. The airport plans to remove carpeting and replace it with terrazzo, install new wall finishes, new LED lighting and other cosmetic improvements. The renovation project is anticipated to be completed in 2019. Later plans will add 10-12 gates to Concourse C by 2024, and 8-10 gates to Concourse B by 2026.^[25]

Terminal Eastside Expansion Phase II began in 2016 and intended to add 51,000 square feet (4,738 m²) across 3 floors of space to the airport terminal between Concourses D and E. The project added another food court to the secure side of the terminal, expanded concession areas in the pre-security area, improved passenger movement between Concourse E to the rest of the airport, added a Mother's Room, and 12,000 square feet (1,114 m²) of office space. It will be completed in Summer 2019.^[25]

Features

Terminal

CLT has 115 gates on five concourses.

Concourse D has 13 gates and serves as the international concourse. All international arrivals without customs preclearance are handled at this facility. Also, American operates some domestic flights from this concourse. It is also used by Lufthansa and Volaris. It opened in 1990.

Concourse E has 46 gates and is entirely used for American Eagle flights, operating just over 340 flights per day. It opened in 2002. Gates E1 through E3 are available for any air carrier to use.

Parking

There are two daily parking decks providing almost 6,000 parking spaces. There are also four Long Term lots, with a combined total of 6,500 spaces. In addition, there is the Daily North lot (formerly Remote), which is between the Daily and Long Term lots, with about 1,500 spaces and a Business Valet Parking Deck. The airport has contracted with a customer service program called SmartPark, which allows customers to call a 24-hour hotline to receive updates on parking conditions.

Charlotte Air National Guard Base

Charlotte ANGB also maintains a USAF Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) unit, emergency vehicles, and associated crash station/fire station on the installation, providing the airport with an additional crash/fire/rescue (CFR) capability that can augment the airport's own civilian ARFF organization.

As of 2018, the 145 AW had replaced its C-130 aircraft with a fleet of C-17 Globemaster III aircraft.

CLT is also home to the USO of NC (United Service Organization of North Carolina) Travel Center, which functions as an airport lounge for military personnel (including veterans) and their families. Staffed by volunteers, the centers offer comfortable chairs, books, magazines, television, movies, video games, play areas for children, and refreshments. Internet and phone use is available free of charge.

The Overlook

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of the few airports in the United States with a public viewing area. Here, visitors can watch planes take off, land, and taxi to and from runway 18C/36C. It is credited with having one of the best airport views in the United States.

Carolinas Aviation Museum

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of a small number of major "hub" airports in the world that has an aviation museum located on the field. The museum, established in 1992, has a collection of over 50 aircraft, including a DC-3 that is painted in Piedmont Airlines livery. The museum also has an aviation library with over 9,000 volumes and a very extensive photography collection. Rare aircraft in the collection include one of only two surviving Douglas D-558 Skystreak aircraft and the second (and oldest surviving) U.S.-built Harrier, which was used as the flight-test aircraft and accumulated over 5,000 flight-test hours.

In January 2011, the museum acquired N106US, the US Airways Airbus A320 ditched by captain Chesley Sullenberger as US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson River on January 15, 2009. This aircraft, which was delivered on June 10, 2011, is about 35 years younger than any other commercial airliner on display in a museum.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

Cargo

Statistics

Top destinations

Airline market share (enplaned passengers)

Annual traffic

Ground transportation

Bus

Road

The airport is served by Josh Birmingham Parkway, which connects to Wilkinson Boulevard (U.S. Route 29 and U.S. Route 74). Other major highways nearby include Interstate 85 and Interstate 485.

Accidents and incidents

• On September 11, 1974, Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashed on final approach en route from Charleston, SC. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident was a "lack of altitude awareness" of the pilots at critical points during the approach. Of 82 people on board, only 13 survived the crash and fire; three of those died within a month of the accident.^[55]
• On October 25, 1986, Piedmont Airlines Flight 467 overran the runway, damaging the airplane beyond repair. Of the 119 people on board, 3 passengers sustained serious injuries, and 3 crew members and 28 passengers sustained minor injuries in the incident. There were no fatalities.^[56] An NTSB report was released, it concluded that "crew coordination was deficient due to the first officer's failure to call the captain's attention to aspects of the approach that were not in accordance with Piedmont operating procedures."
• On January 19, 1988, a Mountain Air Cargo De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 (N996SA), on a flight from Erie, Pennsylvania, descended below the glide path on approach, collided with a tree and struck the ground 1.6 km away from the airport. The crash was due to pilot error. The pilot was killed. There was no one else on board.^[57]
• On July 2, 1994, USAir Flight 1016, which originated in Columbia, South Carolina, crashed in a residential area on approach, killing 37. The crash of the DC-9 was attributed to windshear during a thunderstorm.
• On January 8, 2003, US Airways Express Flight 5481 crashed on takeoff while en route to Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, killing all 21 people aboard. The flight was operated by Air Midwest, an independent airline operating under a US Airways Express codesharing agreement.
• On May 29, 2009, a runway incursion occurred on Runway 18L between US Airways Express Flight 2390, a CRJ-200, and a general aviation Pilatus PC-12 turboprop. While Flight 2390 was on its takeoff roll, the general aviation aircraft was instructed to taxi into position and hold on the same runway for an intersection departure. The aircraft came within 10 feet of each other. There were no injuries.^[58]
• On February 15, 2017, American Eagle Flight 5320 heading to Gulfport–Biloxi International Airport struck a deer while taking off from runway 36 center. The Bombardier CRJ700 was forced to turn around and abort the flight. The plane could be seen trailing a vapor stream from the right wing as it circled back to land. Officials said there was a fuel leak, and crews sprayed the plane with foam. There were no injuries.^[59]

References

External links

• {{official website|http://www.charlotteairport.com}}
• {{cite web|url= http://www.ncdot.gov/aviation/download/ncairports/AirportGuideCLT.pdf |title=Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) }} at North Carolina DOT airport guide
• {{FAA-diagram|00078}}
• {{FAA-procedures|CLT}}

• [https://acukwik.com/Airport-Info/KCLT AC-U-KWIK information for KCLT]

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