PSA Airlines celebrates new Charlotte headquarters + 400 jobs in historic move
Gov. Josh Stein welcomed PSA Airlines to North Carolina during a Thursday morning celebration at its new headquarters in southwest Charlotte.
The relocation marks a historic milestone — PSA is now the only passenger airline headquartered in North Carolina. That fact came with applause from the crowd, when Stein brought it up.
A wholly owned subsidiary of American Airlines, PSA announced its move from Dayton, Ohio, in January 2025.
PSA is expected to bring 400 jobs to Mecklenburg County and support more than $228 million in annual economic output for the state. It’s also expected to generate roughly $10 million in annual state and local taxes, Stein added.
The headquarters will also support hundreds of more jobs in North Carolina through supply chains and community businesses.
“This milestone proves what we have long known, that North Carolina is not only first in flight, we are the future of flight,” Stein said.
Along with Stein, many local and state officials celebrated with PSA leaders.
That included Mecklenburg County Commission Chairman Mark Jerrell, Mayor Pro Tem James Mitchell Jr., and Kandi Deitemeyer, president of Central Piedmont Community College. She spoke about aviation education and scholarship partnerships developed between the college and the airline.
.JPG "CLT_PSAAirlines (1).JPG")
About the new PSA headquarters in Charlotte
Located in the Water Ridge Office Park within the Eagle Lake neighborhood, the move positions the airline’s central operations just miles from Charlotte Douglas International Airport — a primary hub for American Airlines.
PSA Airlines officially opened its new headquarters in January. The decision to anchor in Charlotte was driven by the city’s role as the airline’s busiest operational site.
Stein said North Carolina has become synonymous with aviation and aerospace innovation. The state is home to more than 400 aerospace companies that contribute more than $88 billion to the economy on an annual basis.
“We are still gaining speed and altitude,” Stein said. “PSA Airlines’ decision further solidifies North Carolina’s place in America’s aerospace leadership.”
“PSA’s investment shows confidence in our talent pipeline that we’re building,” Jerrell added during his remarks.
PSA operates an average of 730 flights daily, 130 of which originate from Charlotte. The new headquarters is also within two miles of American’s Charlotte Flight Training Center, where the majority of PSA’s crew training is conducted.
With CLT being the sixth-busiest airport in the world, Mitchell said PSA’s presence adds to Charlotte being a major leader in air travel.
“Your decision to plant deeper roots in Charlotte speaks volumes,” Mitchell said. “It brings talent, new energy and new jobs.”
The transition involved moving more than 100 workers from Ohio to North Carolina. After a three-month window, 40% of the Dayton-based headquarters staff elected to relocate to the Queen City. This exceeded company expectations.
PSA President and CEO Dion Flannery said those plans began more than seven years ago. They wanted to move sooner, but COVID got in the way.
“Moving a logistics business that has 750 flights a day across the country and not missing a beat is a big feat ...,” Flannery said.
The airline has not said how much it cost to pack up and leave for Charlotte. But Flannery said the airline did not get economic incentives for it.
“We bet on the proposition that this community can serve us well. And boy, were we right.” he said about filling 140 roles from 30,000 applications on file.
Inside look at the new PSA headquarters
PSA occupies four of the five floors in its newly renovated building, leaving the third floor vacant for growth. The layout is designed for recruitment and technical operations:
- First Floor: A recruitment center designed to process 1,500 new hires annually, including pilots, flight attendants and mechanics. This floor also features a worker lounge, a selfie mural and an award recognition wall.
- Second Floor: Home to the safety, maintenance planning and engineering teams.
- Fourth Floor: Functioning as the company’s “nerve center,” this level houses dispatching, crew scheduling and maintenance teams who monitor aircraft in real-time.
- Fifth Floor: Contains executive offices, human resources and a professional media studio.
Despite the headquarters move, PSA will keep a major presence in Ohio. Hundreds of employees such as pilots, flight attendants and aircraft maintenance technicians will continue to operate out of the crew base and maintenance hangar at Dayton International Airport.
This story was originally published March 19, 2026 at 11:38 AM.
