b'32 CLT TERMINALSCharlotte-Douglas Intl Begins $3.1 BillionExpansion Amid More Passenger GrowthBY JODI RICHARDS Charlotte Douglas InternationalTo add capacity and enhance theto growth, surpassing pandemic flight Airport (CLT) is in the earlycustomer experience throughout its aging,schedules. (Although CLT is served by stages of a long-term capacityconstricted facility, the North Carolinaeight major airlines, 15 regional carriers enhancement program to address threeairport is executing a $3.1 billion Masterand three foreign airlines, American decades of growth and prepare for thePlan Update dubbed Destination CLT.accounts for 90% of its volume.)future. When the existing terminal openedAnd not even the industry-shaking COVIDThe $608 million Terminal Lobby in 1982, CLT served 2.7 million localpandemic is stopping its rightsizing efforts.Expansion currently underway involves a customers; in 2019, it served more than fourThe Terminal Lobby Expansion Project,366,000-square-foot space. The airport times as many out of the same footprint. among the first of many phases, began inis increasing the lobby by 175,000 square Over time, as2019 and is slated to conclude in fall 2025.feet and renovating another 191,000 weve seen thatAs work progresses, CLT is recoveringsquare feet. Key components of the growth, theres been afrom historic pandemic dips more quicklyproject include:lot of pressure on thethan many other airports. In 2021, it consolidating five existing security pre-security functionsserved 43 million total passengers86%checkpoints into three larger ones, of the terminal, so weof its record-breaking 50.2 million totalexpanding ticketing and baggage needed to addresspassengers in 2019, and up 59% fromclaim areas, that, explains ChiefJACK CHRISTINE 27 million at the height of the pandemica central courtyard with seating, Infrastructure Officerin 2020. In fact, CLT was the first hub inconcessions and a statue, Jack Christine. American Airlines global network to return January | February 2023AirportImprovement.com'