b'TERMINALSCLT 11designers to the airport and its tenantscame together andflow through the terminal was like trying to did a really fantastic job trying to manage the chaos. It wasthread a needle. Passenger experience and challenging, he adds.their ability to comfortably navigate the space Especially challenging, was the phase that removed the formerwas always at the forefront of planning, B Checkpoint to construct what is now known as Checkpoint 1.scheduling and construction, he adds.That was the one point in the project where we lost a significantBen Goebel, a Gresham Smith principal, amount of capacity for the checkpoints, he recalls. On top ofpraises the project team for doing a good that, this phase occurred over the busy summer months. Wejob solving problems and delivering on theBEN GOEBELworked closely with TSA, airlines and our Terminal Ops teamintent of the design, but also taking a step to come up with mitigation strategies to make sure we had anback and considering how guests were moving through the adequate customer experience.facility while it was being built.The effort to manage wait times relied heavily on addingNaturally, the project team encountered some unexpected resources, including additional bomb-sniffing dogs for screening.challenges. For instance, during demolition phases, there were Another key strategy was ensuring that checkpoints were fullyrain leaders coming down into the center of the space where staffed during peak times and the airlines had additional staffsecurity equipment would be located. That just wasnt going to to assist customers with ticketing. Our Terminal Ops team didwork, Beecken quips. It was a little extra work, but we were a great job of managing the crowds and keeping everybodyable to reroute them. moving when it got really busy, Christine says, noting that CLT never had reportable wait times of more than 40 minutes at theFlexibility for the Futurecheckpoints. [That] was really one of the key indicators for us asBecause of the projects long horizonplanning/design, enabling to whether we were successful or not. work and more than five years of constructionCLT was Maintaining uninterrupted technology services throughoutespecially conscious of future-proofing the design as much as construction and renovations was critical, and the designpossible. From how the facility was laid out to changes in ticketing team included Arora Engineers to develop the integratedand screening areas, the project is designed to accommodate special systems design for the projects security, operationalongoing developments in passenger processing. We were trying and telecom elements. Examples include access control,to be a little generous with the space, knowing that the technology passenger processing systems, security checkpoint design, and Electronic Video Information Display Systems, among others. The firm orchestrated phased, temporaryPlanning and Design|Program & Construction Management and permanent system solutions to help CLTFacilities Management|IT|Asset Managementachieve its modernization goals withoutArora proudly delivered integrated Special Systems design and engineering compromising day-to- services to support the phased expansion and renovation of Charlotte Douglas day airport performance,International Airports Terminal Lobby while maintaining uninterrupted operations. notes Vice President,Aroras services included:Special Systems Electronic Video Information Display Systems (EVIDS) Passenger Processing and Analytics SystemsPractice Lead HeathWi-Fi & Passenger Information SystemsKolman, P.E., RCDD.ICT Rooms & Structured CablingClose coordination withHEATH KOLMANSecurity Checkpoint DesignGresham Smith, other Public Address Systemsdesign disciplines and stakeholders supported Access Control Systemsby detailed phasing strategies and ongoing CCTV Surveillancetechnical coordination was instrumental in ensuring success, he adds.LEARN MORE Phasing was a balancing act between the project schedule and passenger experience, agrees Tim Beecken, senior aviation architect with Gresham Smith. Determining how muchTIM BEECKEN aroraengineers.com|Rethinking Infrastructure space could be taken over for active construction without disruptingAtlanta | Baltimore | Boston | Dallas | New York | OrlandoPhiladelphia | San Jose | Bangluru, India| Pune, IndiaAirportImprovement.comJanuary | February 2026'