Charlotte Douglas airport sets new Sunday record for Thanksgiving weekend travel
Charlotte Douglas International Airport set an all-time record for the Sunday after Thanksgiving with an estimated 89,500 passengers, the airport said Monday.
Last year’s total for the Sunday after Thanksgiving was 75,634, so this past Sunday was an 18% increase in travelers.
Before the holiday began, airport officials predicted they would see around 900,000 local and connecting passengers during the 12-day holiday period from Nov. 16 through Monday. But on Monday, the airport said it had less than expected, with 836,000 passengers departing the airport.
Traffic clogged up the airport’s roadways on Sunday, with passengers waiting almost an hour to reach the terminal’s front doors, airport officials reported online.
The airport, which is the seventh-busiest airport in the world for arrivals and departures, is continuing to see a rush of travelers trying to return home.
Passengers expressed their frustrations on social media about the traffic nightmare before and after Thanksgiving. One user on X, formerly Twitter, said he had to get out and walk to save time. “Many walking (including) families with kids in strollers,” tweeted Troy Fitzsimmons on Sunday. “No sidewalks either. Where is the rail to the airport?”
Charlotte airport officials did not provide a comment when asked about the traffic problems, or how the airport might handle the Christmas and New Year’s surge of passengers differently. Airport officials are continuing to review the Thanksgiving travel period.
American Airlines breaks record
American Airlines announced a record-breaking Thanksgiving period for nationwide operations on Monday. The company, which has its second-largest hub at Charlotte Douglas, accounts for 90% of flights at the airport.
Nearly 6.5 million customers flew on more than 59,000 flights during the holiday period which ended on Tuesday, according to spokesperson Bri Harper. With 6,100 departures, Sunday was the busiest travel day from Thursday, Nov. 16 through Tuesday, Nov. 28.
The airline had 700 departures scheduled at Charlotte Douglas and 530 are scheduled for Tuesday. There were no mainline flights canceled at Charlotte’s airport, as of Monday.
Four regional flights were canceled due to weather, out of more than 6,500 American departures that were scheduled at CLT.
Harper said an investment in employees and technology helped the airline run more efficiently during the travel period.
Arriving on time to CLT airport
For busy holiday periods and to avoid as best you can the possibility of sitting in traffic, airport officials said passengers should add extra time to their schedule.
Passengers should arrive at the terminal at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight, airport officials said. They also are asking customers to book parking in advance online at parkCLT.com.
This story was originally published November 27, 2023 at 4:57 PM.
