Delta lands a new home at CLT airport. What it means for passengers and the airline
American Airlines dominates the skies of Charlotte, but a $241 million project will give Delta its own consolidated space at the city’s airport.
The Concourse A Expansion — Phase II project is scheduled to open this month, according to Charlotte Douglas International Airport. It will add 10 more gates to the area.
Delta currently occupies Gates A 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 at the original A Concourse.
A new home for Delta in Charlotte
Delta will still operate seven gates when the new section of the concourse opens, according to the airline. The airline has several gates in the original concourse, but consolidating may help passengers hustling to grab connecting flights.
The Atlanta-based airline will continue daily service to its major hubs at Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport and Salt Lake City International Airport.
Gates will also be used for flights from Charlotte to coastal hubs in Boston and New York’s LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy International airports.
Delta operates between 71 and 85 daily flights out of Charlotte, according to FlightsFrom.com, a website publishing airline routes and schedules worldwide.
The airline is opening its Delta Sky Club in December — a first for Charlotte. It will have seats for more than 250 people and take up 15,000 square feet, according to the company. It offers a place for passengers to relax before a flight with complimentary food, drinks and Wi-Fi.
It’s one of five new lounges that Delta is opening this year. The spaces are different at each airport.
Construction began in May 2022 on land that was once the former car rental site, according to the airport. That site was torn down in early 2016. Design work started in 2018 and continued through 2021. A previous expansion for Concourse A added nine gates in summer 2018 after two years of construction. The cost was $200 million.
The concourse expansion is part of the airport’s “Destination CLT” plan to improve services and operations. Between $2.5 billion to $3.1 billion will be spent to renovate and expand Charlotte Douglas for visitors.
What’s next at the airport?
CLT is scheduled to host a media event to preview the space in the fall, according to the airport. Additional information will be provided at that time.
Charlotte Douglas is ranked as the seventh-busiest airport worldwide for arrivals and departures, according to the Airport Council International’s rankings for 2023.
American Airlines accounts for about 87% of services at CLT, while Delta is around 4.5%.The airport is the second-largest hub for American.
This story was originally published September 6, 2024 at 1:55 PM.
