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CLT Airport Prepares for Winter Holiday Traffic

Local Departures Expected to Climb on Friday and in the Two Days After Christmas

CHARLOTTE, NC – Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is gearing up for the winter holiday travel season, Dec. 16, 2025, to Jan. 4, 2026. Over these 20 days, CLT expects around 2.7 million passengers to arrive and depart, down 13% from the same period last year, with 630,000 travelers beginning their trip in Charlotte, about a 5% decrease from last year.

The heaviest local departure volumes are anticipated on Dec. 19 and Dec. 26–27, while overall travel activity is expected to peak from Dec. 26–28. To provide extra support, the Aviation Department will have additional staff wearing bright yellow vests to help guide and assist travelers.

The total number of flights is projected to reach 27,600, reflecting a 6% decrease from 2024.

Charlotte Douglas recommends travelers consult the Don’t Wing It, Prepare to Fly! guide for tips on a seamless experience. Holiday travel brings high demand for parking, so passengers are encouraged to reserve their spot in advance at parkCLT.com or on the CLT Airport app.

Flyers should arrive inside the Airport at least two hours before domestic departures and three hours before international flights, and check security and shuttle bus wait times at cltairport.com. Passengers can be picked up on either the upper or lower level, which helps ease congestion and maintain steady traffic flow.

Updates with any significant traffic and passenger impacts will be posted in real-time to the Airport’s social media accounts (@cltairport).

New and Noteworthy

  • Deck the halls at CLT: Atrium, D/E Connector and Terminal Lobby Expansion.
  • American Airlines starts three new flights this month: Vail, Colo. (Dec. 18), Aspen, Colo. (Dec. 19) and Palm Springs, Calif. (Dec. 20, Saturday only).
  • Frontier Airlines debuts three weekly flights to Cancun March 6.
  • Etihad Airways inaugural flight to Abu Dhabi is now set for March 20, moved up from the previously announced date of May 6.

Follow @CLTairport on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn. Download the free, all-in-one CLT Airport app at the App Store or on Google Play. Get the latest Airport news at cltairport.com/news or sign-up to receive CLT's electronic newsletters at cltairport.com/news/newsletters-sign-up. Multimedia galleries featuring images and videos are available with credit attributable to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.