Busier than LAX: Charlotte airport moves up in flight, passenger count rankings
Charlotte’s airport has moved up in the passenger and flight count rankings, further cementing its reputation as one of the world’s busiest airports.
Charlotte Douglas International Airport is now the sixth busiest airport in the world when it comes to takeoff and landings, according to Airports Council International preliminary rankings released this week.
Last year, the Charlotte airport saw 596,583 planes come and go from its terminals. That’s an 11% increase from 2023, when the airport ranked seventh internationally.
On the passenger side, 58.8 million travelers went through CLT last year, a 10% increase and a new record for the facility. The increase pushed the airport to seventh place in the North American passenger count rankings, up from ninth.
Internationally, the airport ranks 23rd in passenger counts. Much of the passenger and flight numbers are attributable to CLT’s status as a hub for American Airlines.
How does Charlotte Douglas compare to other airports?
▪ Airports in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Forth Worth, Denver and Las Vegas retained their top five spots in the global takeoff and landings categories.
▪ Charlotte knocked Los Angeles out of sixth place, pushing the West Coast giant to seventh.
▪ Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport also maintained its first place ranking in passenger count both in North America and internationally.
▪ Atlanta is followed by Dubai, Dallas/Fort Worth, Tokyo and London Heathrow in the passenger international totals ranking.
CLT passenger breakdown
The official council numbers won’t be confirmed until later this year, but it’s safe to say the airport is continuing on its growth path.
With the passenger increases, CLT set its fifth record in the last eight years. About 70% of the passengers were on connecting flights, according to the airport.
And most of the passengers fly American Airlines, which accounted for about 90% of the facility’s flights. Charlotte Douglas is the second largest hub for the Fort Worth, Texas-based company.
The airport also saw an increase in international passengers last year, going from 2.1 million to 2.4 million.
What else is happening at the Charlotte Airport?
A lot. Earlier this month, the facility relocated its rideshare drop-off and pick-up area to the inner lane of the upper-level departures zone. The change was made to improve traffic flow and operations, and make better use of available curb space, the airport said.
Drivers using their own cars will use the outer lanes on both the departure and arrival levels.
The airport also recently opened another security checkpoint and expanded screening lanes. Now there are three checkpoints and 21 lanes, which TSA expects will move 600 more passengers per hour.
These changes are part of the airport’s $608 million Terminal Lobby Expansion plan, which began in 2019. Overall, the lobby expansion is part of Destination CLT, a $4 billion initiative to renovate and expand the facility. The total capital investment is $4 billion.
And more construction changes are coming.
The airport plans to add two new baggage carousels, totaling eight overall.
Concourses D and E are being renovated with upgraded restrooms and flooring. Concourse D should be complete by fall 2026, while E is set for spring 2027.
CLT is also still working on its fourth parallel runway, a $1 billion project set to open in fall 2027.
This story was originally published April 17, 2025 at 10:27 AM.
