News Stories

What to Expect in 2025 It’s a new year, which means added improvements and the introduction of more passenger enhancing initiatives at CLT. From the completion of the Terminal Lobby Expansion to the debut of new concessions and artwork, 2025 is shaping up to be a big year for the Airport.

Volunteer and Fiancée Will Tie the Knot Growing up in a military family, Todd Scandrett wanted to become a pilot but was told he was too tall. He ended up serving in the U.S. Army for 18 years before taking a medical retirement as a major in 2013. He volunteers twice a week at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum and even started an aviation-focused nonprofit for disabled veterans called ResurgencePPG.

If you’re rushing to the Airport to catch a flight, the last thing you want is to furiously drive around searching for a place to park. Even worse, you pull up and see that a lot or deck is FULL. Even though CLT has plenty of parking options—nearly 25,000 spots—they fill up quickly, especially during peak times like Spring Break and the holidays, when average daily occupancy is often above 90%. Behold! The new Royalty Program at the Airport bestows its loyal online booking customers with majestic perks. And it’s already a success, with more than 210,000 drivers signed up for the convenient, time-saving option since it launched in September 2024. Currently, some 16,000 parking spots are designated for online booking only. A reservation guarantees the availability of your preferred option. It’s designed to give travelers peace of mind and better rates the further out you book — while helping the Airport operate more efficiently.

Travelers passing through Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) now have a fresh reason to look forward to their layovers. On Dec. 18, Delta opened its first-ever Sky Club at CLT, offering a stylish and spacious haven for both business and leisure passengers. “It’s always exciting to plant roots in a new market and introduce Delta Sky Club® to a new group of customers,” said Claude Roussel, Vice President – Delta Sky Club® and Lounge Experience. “We can’t wait for our Charlotte guests to experience the amenities and hospitality that have made our clubs so popular across the country.”

Maybe it’s the magic of Mickey, or just travelers seeking fun in the Florida sun, but Orlando continues to top the list of CLT’s top five domestic destinations for the fifth straight year.

The Terminal Lobby Expansion (TLE) is approximately a year away from completion, and the Fourth Parallel Runway is gearing up to begin concrete paving next year. Check out where these projects stand now.

This Thanksgiving, the dinner table has some competition as the hottest holiday destination. The Airport is expecting its biggest travel season yet with an estimated 1.02 million passengers departing CLT Thursday, Nov. 21 through Monday, Dec. 2. That’s 7% above last year. The busiest days will be the Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving and the Saturday, Sunday and Monday after Thanksgiving with over 90,000 departing passengers daily. Projections show on each of those days more than 38,000 local passengers will pass through TSA checkpoints at CLT, outpacing this year’s average of approximately 33,400 daily security screenings.

When it comes to concessions at CLT, the more the merrier. With the Airport’s latest addition, it calls for a cheers, or shall we say in German prost? Olde Mecklenburg Brewery (OMB) Biergarten, renowned in the Carolinas for its traditional German-style beer and high-quality food, first debuted to CLT passengers in 2018 as the quick-service-bar Caption Jack’s Tavern on Concourse E. The brewery recently opened a second, more expansive location on Concourse D. In 2024, The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery was named the No. 1 “Best Beer Garden” in the U.S. in “USA TODAY’s” annual 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

The 17th annual Runway 5K raised $65,165, its largest amount ever, for Central Piedmont Community College Opportunity Scholarships. The race drew nearly 1,300 runners/walkers to CLT’s airfield on Oct. 19. The scholarships support up to $10,000 per student and are awarded based on their need. Recipients also receive a computer stipend of up to $1,200. Any remaining encumbered funds are deployed back into the scholarship and awarded to future new scholars. The Runway 5K has raised more than $226,000 in scholarship funds since 2019 and has provided a free college education for 20 local students. Of those 20 students, 11 have graduated and/or transferred to a four-year institution. This year’s top male and female winners were Christopher Zuerner of Charlotte crossing the finish line in 15 minutes, 16 seconds, and Milana Harwick of Charlotte with a time of 18 minutes, 39 seconds. Both received 100,000 American Airlines AAdvantage miles. Mark your calendar. CLT’s next Runway 5K is scheduled for October 2025.

Step into the future of airport luxury with Clockwork, the new robotic manicure station at Charlotte Douglas International Airport that’s transforming layovers into glamorous touch-ups. Paradies Lagardère, CLT’s retail concessionaire, is offering the latest beauty trend at Charlotte Supply Co. in The Plaza. Clockwork provides customers with a user-friendly, self-serve manicure that is quick, easy, affordable and as eye-catching as any spa manicure.

Two years ago, CLT Chief Infrastructure Officer Jack Christine was presented with an ask that he doesn’t receive every day. “We want to put a tail of an MD-80 in the terminal,” requested CLT’s senior architect Dennis Iskra. “I was a little taken back by it, but excited at the same time,” Christine said. “I am an aviation person at heart, for me, my response was if we can figure out how to do it, I’m game.”