Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) ranks as the second-busiest East Coast airport. In August 2025 airlines scheduled around 43,456 flights with approximately 5.45 million seats available. CLT became an important hub after Piedmont Airlines established operations there in 1979; this role continued through mergers with USAir/US Airways and later American Airlines in 2015.
American operates about 90% of departures from Charlotte with more than 38,000 flights scheduled this month and nearly 4.8 million seats offered. The hub connects over 50 million passengers annually through more than 670 daily departures to around 170 destinations—including leisure markets such as Cancun and London Heathrow as well as other international cities across Europe and North America.
Delta Air Lines maintains a presence at CLT with roughly 1,864 flights in August while United has scheduled just over one thousand flights for nearly 118 thousand seats; Spirit Airlines; Southwest; Frontier; Contour Airlines; Air Canada (104 flights); and Lufthansa (62 flights) round out other notable operators.
New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) is third among East Coast airports by activity level—hosting more than 39,800 scheduled flights in August with upwards of seven million seats offered that month alone. Located near Manhattan with six terminals handling hundreds of daily operations across four runways—JFK serves over ninety airlines flying to six continents.
Delta leads JFK’s market share at about thirty percent with over thirteen thousand monthly flights followed by JetBlue Airways—which accounts for roughly one quarter of passenger traffic—and American Airlines representing thirteen percent of activity there this month.
British Airways is JFK’s largest international airline followed by Virgin Atlantic; other major international carriers include Air France; Emirates; Qatar Airways; Lufthansa; KLM; Cathay Pacific; Korean Air; Qantas.
Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) also ranks among the busiest East Coast airports—with almost thirty-six thousand scheduled August departures offering nearly five million seats according to Cirium data.
Delta leads BOS operations followed by JetBlue then American while international service includes British Airways; Lufthansa; Iberia; Aer Lingus among others.
Boston provides nonstop service to more than fifty international destinations—including several European capitals—and continues its historic role as an important transatlantic gateway.
In Florida Orlando International Airport (MCO) stands out due largely to strong leisure demand—serving Central Florida attractions like Walt Disney World—with Southwest being its largest carrier.
Virgin Atlantic leads European service into Orlando alongside British Airways; Aer Lingus; Lufthansa among others.
Miami International Airport (MIA), nearing its centennial anniversary functions primarily as an American Airlines hub—supporting both domestic connections nationwide along with numerous Caribbean/Latin America routes—and hosts significant international connectivity via oneworld alliance partners.
East Coast airports overall have rebounded from pandemic lows—with schedules now reflecting pre-pandemic levels or higher—and continue serving crucial roles within U.S aviation: supporting domestic connectivity while functioning as gateways for long-haul travel worldwide.
"Atlanta continues to lead the rankings with the highest number of flights and seats, which, of course, is supported by Delta Air Lines’ dominant hub operation," according to recent analysis.
"American Airlines also plays a key role in the region particularly through its hybrid hub in Charlotte and its strong presence in Miami," it was noted further.
"New York JFK meanwhile remains the East Coast’s primary international super-connector."
Altogether these facilities move tens of millions each month—not only acting as vital hubs for large U.S carriers but also hosting major foreign airlines—with each playing distinct roles connecting their regions domestically & internationally.
Alerts Sign-up
