‘Perfect storm’ at the Charlotte airport leads to record number of passengers

Chase Jordan
·2 min read
2

If you think it’s been pretty crowded at CLT lately, well, you’re not wrong: Charlotte Douglas International Airport broke records for passenger travel with 53.4 million passengers catching flights last year.

The Charlotte airport reported a 12% increase in passengers from 2022, when 47.8 million travelers came to the airport, officials announced Wednesday. It was also 6.5% higher than the previous record of 50.2 million passengers, set in 2019.

“The growth we are experiencing is a perfect storm of multiple factors,” said airport Chief Executive Officer Haley Gentry in a news release. “The strength of CLT as American Airlines’ second largest hub is driving the airport’s overall growth.

“Charlotte is an efficient spoke in the airline’s hub system and we are critical to their future growth.” American accounts for about 90% of all flights out of the airport.

Airport officials also attributed the growth to changes in travel habits, remote work and the overall economic development in the Charlotte region.

Here are some other highlights from the report and plans for the busy airport.

A surge of passengers at CLT

The 12% increase from 2022 to last year is the highest year-to-year increase since 2010 when the airport had 38.2 million passengers — an 11% surge from the previous year, according to airport officials.

More flights in the air over Charlotte

Aircraft traffic increased 6.6% from 2022 to last year, the airport said. CLT logged 539,066 arrivals and departures last year, up from 505,589 in 2022.

International travel grew from 1.8 million passengers in 2022 to 2.1 million last year, a 20.9% increase.

American Airlines adds destinations

American Airlines is planning to add routes to new cities throughout the year at Charlotte Douglas, which is expected to increase airport traffic.

Some of the places are Spokane, Washington (starting in June); Tulum, Mexico (coming in March); and Vancouver, which will be the only nonstop service between North Carolina and British Columbia when the service is offered in June.

Passengers wait in a check-in line at Vancouver International Airport. A Charlotte to Vancouver flight from American Airlines that begins in June will be the only nonstop service between North Carolina and British Columbia.
Passengers wait in a check-in line at Vancouver International Airport. A Charlotte to Vancouver flight from American Airlines that begins in June will be the only nonstop service between North Carolina and British Columbia.

Upgrades coming to the Charlotte airport

Charlotte’s airport is ranked as the seventh-busiest worldwide for arrivals and departures, according to the Airport Council International’s preliminary rankings for 2022. Many plans are underway to improve the travel experience for passengers.

The airport is planning to add 10 gates this year at Concourse A and skybridges in the new expanded lobby entrance at the terminal.

Away from the terminal, a fourth parallel runway is being worked on and a new airport overlook will open in the summer.

Another project off the terminal is the Destination District project. Charlotte Douglas is seeking developers to build hotels, restaurants, and industrial buildings on 90 acres along Wilkinson Boulevard.

The proposal request process will start Thursday, followed by a selection process in the spring. Charlotte’s city council members will approve agreements in the fall.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport saw record-breaking travel in 2023, surpassing its all-time passenger record set pre-pandemic. The airport had 53.4 million passengers last year.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport saw record-breaking travel in 2023, surpassing its all-time passenger record set pre-pandemic. The airport had 53.4 million passengers last year.