Cheers to 20 Years! Honoring Our Airport Volunteers
The Volunteer Program at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) celebrates its 20th anniversary on May 15, 2025, and is already looking ahead and planning for its next decade of service.
It’s a huge milestone for the group, which currently includes 53 volunteers who dedicate a minimum of three four-hour shifts each month to assist passengers inside CLT’s ever-expanding terminal.
Airport Volunteers are strategically located in high-traffic areas of the terminal, typically by flight information display boards, TSA checkpoints and near exits. You’ve probably noticed their blue vests with the lowercase “i” within a circle (the universal symbol for “information”) on the back.
Two Decades of Service (2005-2025)
Since its inception in 2005, the Airport Volunteer program has collected some truly impressive numbers:
- Total number of Airport Volunteers – 137
- Customer connections - 3,453,708
- Total hours served – 124,511
- Average number of customers helped per volunteer – 25,209
Daily Interactions
Each volunteer averages 179 interactions daily and keeps track of them with a handheld tally counter. Their primary job is informational and wayfinding, but every shift is really a small microcosm of society. The good and the bad.
“People want to be heard, and we see these brief interactions as an opportunity to leave a lasting impression of CLT,” according to Airport Volunteer Programs Manager Diana May. “I tell the volunteers not to take things personally. You are just the lucky one who was nice enough to lend your ear.” She says the ideal volunteer is someone who loves learning, is outgoing and empathetic.
“Are we saving the world? No. But we are helping people along their journey. And not every journey is a vacation,” said May. “Not everyone is going on a honeymoon. Many people are going to visit a loved one for the last time, they are going to a funeral, maybe they are going to a job interview, or they could be travelling for work. People travel for various reasons, and you never know where someone is on that journey.”
Top Questions & Celebrity Encounters
Some of the top 20 most frequently asked questions include, “Where is Baggage Claim? Where is the nearest restroom? Where are the various lounges? And where can I smoke?” The recently relocated rideshare pick-up and drop-off area (to the inner lane of the upper-level Ticketing/Departures area) has also raised numerous questions from passengers. “Our environment is constantly changing,” added May. “And you have to keep up with the changes.”
Other volunteer interactions might involve travelers with dementia or Alzheimer's who have become separated from their families, as well as assisting passengers who are lost due to language barriers.
Volunteer Nancy F. said some requests are more unusual than others. “A couple flying overseas asked me to witness their will!” she recounted. Another time, after she helped a passenger find his gate at the end of Concourse E, he wrote her a thank-you note in Arabic on his phone. “The grateful look on his face still makes me teary!”
Every shift brings surprises and even some celebrity sightings, including the late sportscaster Greg Gumbel, actor Bill Murray and many others.
“The most interesting person I met was Henry “The Fonz” Winkler, who was flying to L.A. on the way to the 2018 Emmy Awards,” said volunteer Lolo P. “He wore his customary plaid jacket, waved, and smiled at everyone who approached him and yelled Fonzie quotes at him. He was genuine and graciously agreed to take a picture with us for our volunteer newsletter. And incidentally, he won an Emmy that weekend for his acting (in the HBO Series “Barry”).
Volunteer Training & Recruitment
The training to become a CLT Airport Volunteer is extensive, requiring at least four to six weeks. Additionally, the program can onboard only six volunteers at a time.
Applicants must undergo a background check and fingerprinting, attend an open house, three classroom training classes, a pre-security tour and serve three shadow shifts with veteran volunteers in different locations. (Even though the volunteers only work in post-security locations, people still ask questions about all areas of the Airport.)
The program enjoys a strong retention rate but anticipates many future retirements, as the average volunteer age is now 79. While most Airport Volunteers stay an average of 9.7 years, 41% have already surpassed that, so CLT is working to recruit new members.
Current volunteers come from diverse backgrounds and careers and include a former chief financial officer, a retired Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer, a retired medical software executive, a retired telecom technician and entrepreneur turned home builder, a former teacher and even a stay-at-home mom. More than 40% of them live outside of Charlotte.
A Unique Opportunity
The program manager admits this is not a “one-and-done” drop-in volunteer opportunity. However, if you are 18 years or older, have 12 hours per month available and want to make a direct impact, she encourages interested candidates to apply. Airport Volunteers get free parking and even discounts at select concessions.
“The energy and excitement of the terminal is unlike any other place you will volunteer,” said May. “The people watching, the people meeting, the conversations you will have, the whole experience is unique, and you will be in great company. And you will leave every day knowing exactly how many people you helped. If that isn’t the ultimate feel-good, I don’t know what is.”
To learn more about becoming an Airport Volunteer, visit the CLT Airport website (CLT Airport Volunteers) or go to Volunteer Match for additional information.
Read what three of CLT’s original Airport Volunteers have to say about their experience in the program over the last 20 years in the latest CLTea blog.