Aviation

Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is owned and operated by the City of Charlotte. Established in 1935 and opened in 1936 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, its name was later changed to Douglas Municipal Airport, honoring former Mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr. The Airport became known as Charlotte Douglas International Airport in 1982.

Daily operations are managed by CEO Haley Gentry, who administers the CLT $303.9 million annual budget, and leads the Airport Management Team and nearly 900 Aviation Department employees.

CLT is ranked among the world's busiest airports, with 1,424 arrivals and departures and 118,636 people traveling to, from and through the Airport each day, according to Airports Council International's annual rankings. CLT provides service to 193 destinations worldwide. The 2.4-million square-foot terminal building contains five concourses and 123 gates.

In 2025, CLT welcomed 53.6 million passengers - its second busiest year on record - and handled 574,193 aircraft operations.

Quick Facts

Major employment center, with more than 20,000 workers on site. More than 12,000 are employed by American Airlines, with nearly 10,000 additional workers employed by other airlines, tenants, contractors, and businesses.

Contributes $40 billion annually to the economies of North and South Carolina while supporting 184,400 jobs and $39.7 billion in economic output—with over 90 of jobs and 92% of output occurring within North Carolina. The remainder came from the South Carolina counties within the Charlotte region.

The Destination CLT capital development program is underway and includes various expansion projects to accommodate current and future passenger growth.

Home to the North Carolina Air National Guard's 145th Airlift Wing and Wilson Air Center – Charlotte, which manages CLT's corporate and private aircraft operations

Serves more than 4 million people, including 2.8 million in the Charlotte region alone, in the North and South Carolina air service area.

CLT is the only large hub airport in the Carolinas.

CLT is American Airlines' second-largest hub after Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and the third-busiest single airline connecting hub in the U.S.

The Air Traffic Control Tower, commissioned in 2021, is the Federal Aviation Administration's second tallest tower (at 370 feet high) and fifth busiest in the world.

 


Aviation Leadership Team

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is managed by a well-rounded, experienced team of industry professionals, including: