Quantcast

Charlotte Airport faces infrastructure challenges amid high passenger volumes

Airline CEO wants airports to cap passengers at 2 alcoholic drinks to limit on-board disruptions
Emirates Will Buy 5 Airbus A380s From Lessor For $200 Million
Delta Air Lines named official airline of the WNBA
Pair Of C-Suite Officials Depart Wheels Up
LAX Receives Final Cars for People Mover Train
Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines merger clears Justice Department hurdle, now faces DOT
Alaska Airlines flight attendants reject new contract, union says there's 'more work to do'
Elliott Investment To Push For 10 New Boardroom Directors At Southwest Airlines
Alaska Air Backs JetZero Blended-Wing Design
AI in Aviation Line Maintenance: A Strategic Response to Delays, Satisfaction, and Staffing Challenges
Air taxi service plans for 2026 Los Angeles launch at USC, SoFi and LAX
VistaJet Flight Brings Home Americans in Prisoner Swap
Air Canada Blames Paris Olympics On Decreased Profits
Delta passengers sue airline over refund refusals after CrowdStrike meltdown
Microsoft fires back at Delta after massive outage, says airline declined ‘repeated’ offers for help
Korean Air Confirms A Spacious Lounge Is Coming To The New Terminal One at New York JFK
VAS Aero Services to Acquire an Additional 17 Airbus A320 Airframes, Bringing to 23 the Total Number of A320s Slated for Teardown and Harvested Parts Redistribution
Delta CEO says CrowdStrike-Microsoft outage cost the airline $500 million
Boeing Reports $16.9 Billion In Revenue For 2nd Quarter With 5,400 Commercial Aircraft Backlog
United Airlines says flight attendant in Terrell Davis incident is no longer employed and NFL legend’s ‘no fly’ ban is lifted | CNN
Nepal Plane Crash Kills 18 After Takeoff - Airline Ratings
Southwest Airlines is getting rid of open seating | CNN Business
CrowdStrike Outage Caused 10% Spike in Air Charter
Aircraft Engine Maintenance and Repair to Peak in 2026, Worsening Capacity Shortage for Commercial Aviation, Says Bain & Company
Joby’s Electric Air Taxi Makes European Debut
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation announces NLRB-scheduled vote to remove union officials
Families recount the horror of MH17 ten years on - Airline Ratings
777-9 Enters Certification Flight Testing - AVweb
Kompass Kapital Sets New Course with Airshare Investment
SATS, SIA Engineering Company and Changi Airport Group to Trial Autonomous Buses at Changi Airport
Charlotte Airport faces infrastructure challenges amid high passenger volumes
Research
Webp txr36ytg6uuvd13i8xrjnuempd4m
Gary Leff Chief Financial Officer | View from the Wing

Charlotte Airport, a major hub for American Airlines, is experiencing significant challenges due to high passenger volumes and limited infrastructure. The airport, which offers some of the highest airfares in the nation, benefits from its strategic location and low operational costs. However, these advantages come at the expense of passenger comfort.

American Airlines operates a dominant connecting hub at Charlotte, with 68% of passengers using it for connections. This dominance results in numerous non-stop flight options but also minimal competition. Despite its geographic advantages and cost-effectiveness for airlines, the airport's facilities are often described as inadequate and overcrowded.

"The airport is a pit," one frequent traveler remarked. "And for me it’s also where connections go to die." Passengers face long walks between concourses, especially when people movers are out of service. The physical infrastructure struggles to support the volume of traffic, leading to packed corridors and subpar amenities.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

David Fleming expressed his frustration on social media: "The @CLTAirport is a miracle of modern engineering in that it’s been under (re)construction for a decade & the more they do the WORSE it seems to get; with everything designed in a way that if the slightest thing goes wrong the entire facility collapses into chaos."

In response to these issues, new legal protections have been introduced to help passengers cope with their travel experiences at Charlotte Airport. Three years ago, American Airlines attempted to eliminate 'to-go' alcohol sales at the airport. Chief Operating Officer David Seymour mentioned efforts to get government intervention on this matter: "They’ve already gotten Dallas – Fort Worth airport to ban alcohol to go from restaurants."

Despite these efforts, state law now allows airport vendors in Charlotte to sell alcohol 'to-go.' Joe Bruno reported via Twitter that new legislation permits various changes in alcohol sales regulations: "ABC stores can now sell gift cards... It allows airport vendors to sell drinks that can be carried around the terminal."

This change means passengers can now drink while walking around or sitting in rocking chairs within the terminal. During the pandemic, this practice led to issues as passengers would bring their own alcohol on board flights despite airline restrictions. Although this problem has decreased with the return of inflight alcohol sales, selling alcohol for passengers to take away still poses potential risks.

Organizations Included in this History
More News

Delta Air Lines will introduce new in-flight menu options created by celebrity chef José Andrés starting November 4.

Oct 25, 2025

The Blue Sky partnership between United Airlines and JetBlue launched today, allowing members of both airlines’ loyalty programs to earn and redeem points across the two carriers.

Oct 25, 2025

Air Canada is set to expand its presence at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) by introducing four new nonstop routes to the United States in 2026.

Oct 25, 2025

United Airlines has announced it will add 10 new destinations from its Chicago O'Hare International Airport hub starting next year.

Oct 25, 2025

The partnership between United Airlines and JetBlue, known as Blue Sky, has officially launched.

Oct 25, 2025

American Airlines will introduce its new Airbus A321XLR aircraft on December 18, marking the first time a U.S. airline operates this model.

Oct 25, 2025