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When you think about the Airport, it’s easy to focus on your suitcase and vacation plans, but cargo is everywhere—probably even below the passenger cabin where you’re seated. In 2024, Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) handled 205,700 tons of cargo, a 7.3% increase from the previous year. In the first seven months of 2025, those numbers rose by 14.1%. Air cargo supports just about everything in our daily lives. That prescription your doctor just sent over? It might have flown in overnight. The part your mechanic needs to get your car back on the road? That too. Even things like event gear, rescue animals or time-sensitive mail often arrive by air. In this edition of __CLTea’s “Five on the Fly,” Alishia Nugent, CLT Cargo Properties Leasing Coordinator__, joined us for five questions: __1) Who ships the most in Charlotte?__ Amazon is currently our most active operator, handling about 60,000 tons in FY25, although FedEx was our leader for several years. Our FY25 data shows UPS and FedEx each handling between 35 and 40,000 tons. *Prime Air Photo: Courtesy of James Greer* [https://www.instagram.com/thejamesgreer/](https://www.instagram.com/thejamesgreer/) What is being shipped is just about anything you can imagine! When you track a package from Amazon, UPS, or FedEx and see that it arrived in Charlotte overnight, chances are it touched down right here on our cargo ramp. *Note: American Airlines' biggest cargo customer is the United States Postal Service.* __2) What is the longest distance our cargo travels to CLT?__ Our dedicated cargo flights usually stick to shorter, high-frequency routes. For example, Amazon runs six flights daily—three inbound and three outbound—connecting CLT with Cincinnati (CVG), Wilmington, OH (ILN) and San Bernardino, CA (SBD). Of those, San Bernardino is the farthest, but even that’s under five hours of flight time. That said, most people don’t realize how much cargo is carried in the belly of passenger flights. In 2024, American Airlines transported 21 thousand tons (42 million pounds!). Anything from high-value packages and mail to medicine and even family pets can be riding in the belly of a mainline aircraft. Regional jets usually don’t have room for that kind of freight, but our mainline flights do. For a long time, Munich was our longest nonstop route, at about 4,590 miles. American Airlines launched the seasonal Athens route (June 2025), which added about 1,000 more miles, making it our longest haul. But next year (May 2026), we will surpass that with Etihad’s new nonstop to Abu Dhabi. That flight will cover over 7,400 miles and significantly expand CLT’s global reach. It will be exciting to see the changes that come with this. __3) Can you explain how cargo fits into the larger picture of CLT’s success?__ Cargo tends to be the much quieter and less glorified partner to passenger service, but it’s just as important. It helps ensure airline profitability, especially on long-haul routes, and helps keep Charlotte connected to major logistics and distribution networks. Amazon alone operates over 40 flights a week through CLT, quietly making it one of our top-performing carriers, even without a single passenger onboard. While cargo might not be as exciting as terminal expansions or the latest restaurant to open, it offers a lot of potential, especially considering how the Airport can stay resilient and diversified in the long run. We saw the important role of cargo during the pandemic; passenger traffic dropped off, but cargo kept moving. We’re also well-positioned geographically to expand, especially with inbound goods from South America. Think tropical fruit, fresh flowers, produce and pharmaceuticals — this kind of freight needs to move quickly, and CLT is in a prime spot to serve as a gateway for it. __4) Discuss how our love of convenient, online shopping impacts CLT.__ E-commerce is BOOMING and only continuing to grow! People have become very reliant on their next-day or even same-day shipping now, and companies like Amazon Air are the ones making that happen. CLT plays a big role in their network, which means we’re helping ensure those deliveries arrive on time, not just across the country but right here in Charlotte to you and me. And it’s not just Amazon. Retailers like Shein, Temu, and others are part of this extensive global logistics ecosystem that’s growing so rapidly. The more prepared we are to handle that growth, the more competitive we will be as a destination for these operators. __5) Are there any new technologies on the horizon you are excited about?__ We haven’t rolled out much new cargo-specific tech here at CLT yet, but I watch it closely. Other airports are testing some exciting things, like autonomous ground service equipment, which is basically self-driving tugs that move freight around the ramp. One of the innovations I’m most excited about is the scanning technology now used in some warehouses. Instead of having to manually flip every box to find a barcode, these systems can scan any side of a parcel automatically. That kind of efficiency is a game-changer when you’re moving thousands of packages an hour and can enable a much larger throughput within the same amount of space.

In Aviation City at the Sullenberger Aviation Museum (SAM), history doesn’t just sit behind glass — it soars overhead, surrounds you on all sides, immersing visitors into Charlotte’s captivating aviation history. Visitors encounter firsthand an authentic 1930s letter from Charlotte’s first Airmail stop, get a close-up view of historic planes towering overhead and even explore vintage menus, Morris Code magazines (the on-base publication from CLT’s time as an Army Air Base during World War II) and other fun items from throughout aviation history. “Aviation City is all about the City of Charlotte, the Airport and how they have grown together since the 1930s. It’s a chronological story that really focuses on the beginnings of the Charlotte Airport and follows it through time. It highlights the expansion and the growth of over 100 years of progress, but it’s not only about where we have been but where we are going,” said Vice President of Collections Katie Swaringen of SAM. The exhibit, which opened this summer, is free with general admission and planned to be a permanent fixture. Current features include a real-time flight tracker for CLT’s airspace, two flight simulators located in a real World War II-era jet trainer, a historic Piedmont Airlines DC-3 plane with connections to CLT and much more. When entering the exhibit, an arrow on the floor directs you where to start your journey. As you move around, it’s like walking through a history book, but instead of static words and pictures, immersive visuals and hands-on displays transport you to another place and reveal the stories and people behind each piece. The lighting in the exhibit shines down on different sections, making you focus particularly on what’s right in front of you before progressing to the next station. One section is devoted entirely to the early days of aviation, delving into Charlotte’s many golden age barnstormers, while another highlights key moments of the Airport’s evolution, such as the deregulation of the airline industry and Piedmont Airlines’ rise to prominence at CLT. There is also a dedicated display honoring the history of the North Carolina Air National Guard. __A long time in the making__ Aviation City is the result of years and years of planning and dedication. CLT had a team dedicated to restoring the 89-year-old historic hangar, which once housed Eastern Air Lines aircraft and now serves as a home for the exhibit. SAM staff has been working since 2019 to plan what the exhibit would look like and make it a reality. “In March we started moving all of the aircraft over to the hangar. It’s really all the planning that goes on before that is time consuming. Once you get to the exhibit install piece, it goes quickly,” Swaringen said. Opening weekend, the museum saw around 1,000 visitors of all ages tour Aviation City. In addition to being among the first to explore the exhibit, visitors also were treated to discussions with people connected to Charlotte’s aviation history. Special guest speakers are planned to continue. Be sure to check the museum’s calendar for updates of who may be stopping by soon. “I encourage people to come out and make Aviation City one of their destinations for this summer,” Swaringen said. “It’s an interactive, fun experience. It’s really an exhibit about the Charlotte community.” Learn more about Aviation City and the museum, visit SAM’s website at [www.sullenbergeraviation.org](http://www.sullenbergeraviation.org/). __Fun facts: Did you know?__ - Air Mail, which predated the modern mail services, arrived in Charlotte for the first time on April 1, 1930. - Eastern Air Lines was the first airline to offer passenger service in Charlotte, beginning in 1930. - From 1941 to 1946, CLT (then known as Douglas Municipal Airport) was a World War II Army Air Base named Morris Field used to train pilots, gunners and maintenance crews. - The Airport’s original hangar was moved from its original location in 2010 to make room for expanded taxiways. A steel beam from the original hangar is on display in Aviation City. - Before computers, teletypewriters were used to communicate messages in the aviation industry. You can find an example of one of these used by the North Carolina Air National Guard in Aviation City.