Charlotte City Council approved a ten and a half year lease deal with five airlines at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) on Nov. 9.. The deal clears the way for an estimated USD$2.1 billion (£1.6 billion) in airport improvements, including new boarding gates and a passenger tunnel.
What Will Change at Charlotte Airport?
Improvements at the airport include new gates at Concourse C, plus a new tunnel to connect the expanded concourse to the main terminal. It also plans to renovate the international arrivals area and works will be carried out on the airfield to allow the fourth parallel runway to be used.
The upgrade programme, called CLT Beyond, also includes planning and design work for future expansions of the international concourse and main terminal atrium. The improvements will be funded by airport revenue bonds, passenger facility charges and federal grants.
How the Lease Works
New rental payments and charges will be paid by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines for using facilities at the airport. This lease will be from Jan. 1. 2027 until Jun. 30. 2037.
It will increase the gate usage targets for airlines. This will make it easier for the airport to reassign underused gates. This deal increases the number of city-managed gates from 10 to 17.
Why Charlotte Matters to American Airlines
Charlotte is American Airlines’ second largest hub. They operate up to 650 flights a day from Charlotte connecting passengers to over 180 destinations across 27 countries. American says the airport improvements will give its Charlotte operation room for growth.
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