Charlotte/Douglas International Airport

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Charlotte Douglas International Airport (IATA: CLT, ICAO: KCLT, FAA LID: CLT) is a joint civil-military public international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr. The airport gained its current name in 1982 and is currently US Airways' largest hub, with service to 135 domestic and international destinations as of 2008.^[2] In 2007, it was the 16th busiest airport in the US and the 28th busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic.^[3]

[edit] History

[edit] The early years

The city received a $200,000 grant from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1930 to establish Charlotte's first municipal airport.

In 1936, the Charlotte Municipal Airport opened and was operated by the City of Charlotte. Eastern Air Lines began its first regularly scheduled passenger service in 1937. The original passenger terminal is still at the airport, and is now the Carolinas Aviation Museum.

The United States Army Air Forces took control of the airport and established Morris Field Air Base in 1941. The airfield was used by the Third Air Force for antisubmarine patrols and training.

[edit] 1950 to mid-1960s: into the jet age

In 1950, Eastern Airlines began regularly scheduled passenger service from CLT. In 1954, a 70,000-square-foot (6,500 m²) passenger terminal opened, and the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport in honor of former Charlotte Mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr. The terminal had two floors, although passenger operations were confined to the ground floor. Ticketing and baggage claim were located on each side of an open space which bisected the building from north to south, and a mezzanine restaurant and various airline offices overlooked this open space. Delta Air Lines began regularly scheduled passenger service in 1956.

Eastern Air Lines began the region's first regularly scheduled jet service in 1962. Eastern used the west pier, Piedmont and Delta the center pier, and United and Southern used the east pier.

[edit] Late 1960s to 1978: growth pre-deregulation

A major renovation project in the late 1960s expanded the facility considerably. Eastern opened a 'unit terminal' in 1967, replacing the old west pier. This new facility had 8 dedicated gates for Eastern, each with its own departure lounge, as well as a snack bar and separate baggage claim space. Eastern passengers continued to check in at the main terminal.

Two years later in 1969, a new enclosed concourse was built parallel to the center pier. When it was completed, Piedmont, Eastern and Delta moved in and the old center pier was demolished. The new concourse also had separate departure lounges, as well as restrooms and an enlarged baggage claim area. United's flights continued to the use the east pier, although an enclosed holdroom was added for waiting passengers.

In 1973, Eastern added two more gates to the end of its west concourse.

[edit] 1978 to 1989: becoming a major hub

After airline deregulation in 1978, passenger numbers at the terminal nearly doubled between 1978 and 1980, and a new 10,000-foot (3,000 m) parallel runway and control tower were opened in 1979 to handle the increased passenger loads. The airport's master plan also called for construction of a new terminal across the runway from the existing site. Ground for this expansion was broken in 1979.

In 1979, Piedmont Airlines dedicated Charlotte as the hub for its rapidly expanding route network. To accommodate the booming growth of the facility, a new 325,000-square-foot (30,200 m²) passenger terminal opened in 1982, and the airport was renamed Charlotte Douglas International Airport. In 1987, Piedmont inaugurated non-stop service to London.

In the mid-1980s, the old terminal site was converted in to a cargo center, and the central concourse and Eastern 'unit terminal' were removed to make way for larger, more modern cargo buildings. The original main building still stands, however, and is used for office space. The old control tower was removed in the late 1990s.

In 1989, Piedmont merged with USAir, the new merged operations kept the USAir name.

[edit] 1990 to 2004: the influence of US Airways

In 1990, a new 80,000-square-foot (7,400 m²) international and commuter concourse opened, and in 1991 further expansion of the terminal buildings continued, reflective of USAir's dominating presence at the airport. A monumental bronze statue of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (the namesake of the city), created by Raymond Kaskey, was placed in front of the main terminal.

A Rocking Chair in between concourses. February 2005.

In 1992, Lufthansa began Boeing 747 service to Germany; however, this service was discontinued shortly thereafter. In 1994, British Airways began service to London via a "global alliance" with USAir. This has since been discontinued, as the airlines have chosen opposite alliances. Lufthansa did restart service to Charlotte and now operates flights between Charlotte and Munich, Germany utilizing Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft.

When USAir became US Airways in 1996, Charlotte remained its largest hub in terms of passenger traffic, and in 1999, plans were announced for the construction of a regional carrier concourse (present-day Concourse E) and for the expansion of Concourses A and D.

In 2002, the new 32-gate Concourse E opened,^[4] and US Airways also began non-stop service to Belize, Freeport, Providenciales, Punta Cana, and St. Croix.

In 2003, the main ticketing hall was expanded to the east, providing 13 additional ticketing counters and a new security checkpoint; and Concourse D was expanded by an additional 9 gates. That year, US Airways began service to Costa Rica, Mexico City, and St. Kitts. Lufthansa also returned to the airport, this time providing service to Munich.

[edit] 2005 and beyond

Following America West Airlines' acquisition of US Airways in a reverse takeover, ^[5] Charlotte (CLT) remains the primary domestic hub for the airline. However, the vast majority of US Airways' international routes are served out of the airline's second-largest hub, Philadelphia. In April 2007, Charlotte was the fastest growing airport in the US. ^[6] CLT went on to surpass its sister hub in Philadelphia as one of the 30 busiest airports in the world in terms of passenger traffic.^{[citation needed]} A new terminal to the northwest of the center of the airport will be built in the near future, possibly as a Caribbean/Latin America international terminal. As a result, rental car agencies will reportedly be placed in the bottom level of the closer two parking decks. The US Department of Transportation have tentatively awarded US Airways for a Charlotte-Philadelphia-Beijing route to begin in March 2010. The service will not operate with the same plane, however, with passengers having to switch to different aircraft when arriving in Philadelphia.

This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. (March 2008)

US Airways B737-300 Landing at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport April 2008

[edit] Construction

Construction of CLT's third parallel runway began in the spring of 2007. At 9,000 feet (2,700 m) long, the new "third parallel" will allow three independent approaches for arrivals, automatically increasing air service by 33 percent. This new runway lies west of the 2 existing runways. The construction of the third runway required the relocation of parts of Wallace Neel Road (which had previously formed the Western boundary of the airport) to an alignment located further to the west.

Construction will involve two phases. The first phase, which began in March 2007, includes grading and drainage. The second phase, which will include the paving and lighting of the runway, is scheduled to begin on July 4, 2008^[7].

On the morning of November 20, 2008 runway 18R/36L was changed to runway 18C/36C in anticipation of the upcoming commissioning of the new third parallel runway which will carry the 18R/36L designation when opened.

Reportedly the new runway will be completed in the Fall of 2009 for VFR use only. Once the navigational aides are installed the runway should be completely operational by the Spring of 2010. The project is funded through federal grants, passenger facility charges and bond funds. The Runway construction also has planned to reroute several roads around the airport. Within these plans, a new interchange at the I-485 Outerbelt is planned to connect the airport and another relocated road.

[edit] Parking

The parking options at Charlotte Douglas have drastically improved in recent years. There have been two new Daily Parking decks erected since 2005, providing almost 6,000 additional parking spaces for the traveling public. There are also two Long Term lots, with a combined almost 6,500 spaces. There is also the Remote lot, which is between the Daily and Long Term lots, with about 1,500 spaces. In the summer of 2008 ground will be broke for the new 40-million-dollar Business Valet Parking Deck. Which will utilize the use of Post Tension Concrete for each massive 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m²) level. Charlotte's close-in surface and deck parking exits are serviced by part-time personnel from booths apparently dating to the 1982 terminal expansion. The Daily parking rates at CLT are some of the lowest in the nation, with Long Term costing $4 & Remote parking costing $6 per day(Remote parking is closed as of January 5,2009 for an unknown length of time). Daily Parking is $6 per day, and Hourly $2 per hour with a maximum charge of $16 per day. Hourly also allows the first 30 minutes of parking free of charge. Staff audits every parking area each evening to upload license plate data to ensure each vehicle is assessed the correct parking fee when it exits. The airport has recently aligned with a customer service program called SmartPark, which allows customers to call a hotline 24 hours a day to receive updates on parking conditions. Charlotte Douglas also has Valet parking that provides vehicle washing and detailing and even paintless dent removal services for an additional charge.

Inbound and outbound directional/informational signs are poorly positioned creating problems for first time arrivals. There is a free cell-phone parking area for people to wait for inbound passengers.

[edit] Incidents and accidents

[edit] Accidents en route

• January 15, 2009 US Airways Flight 1549 (New York's LaGuardia Airport to Seattle via Charlotte, Made an emergency landing in the Hudson River after geese were reported to have struck both of the engines.)

[edit] Incidents

• On September 11, 1974, Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashed on final approach en route from Charleston, SC. The crash site is 3.3 miles (5.3 km) due south of what is now Runway 36R west of York Road and north of Thornfield Road. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident, was a "lack of altitude awareness" of the pilots, at critical points during the approach. The pilots conversed regarding numerous non-operational topics. With pilot attention drawn outside the aircraft, altitude "call outs" were neglected. With foggy treetops in sight, the pilot pulled back sharply & went to full throttle. The DC-9-31, traveling over 200 MPH, clipped trees, snapped wings, ruptured fuel tanks and spilled 13,000 pounds of Jet A fuel. The fiery airliner slid through dense woods into a ravine, broke into pieces, coming to rest with most exit doors blocked by pine trees. The Steele Creek Volunteer Fire Department responded quickly, extingushing the fire within minutes. Of 82 people onboard, 13 survived the crash and fire. Two other passengers died several days later. Stephen Colbert, host of The Colbert Report on Comedy Central, lost his father and two brothers in the accident. Many passengers were wearing stylish "double-knit" garments that adhered to the skin when burned.^[8]

• On 19 January 1988, a Mountain Air Cargo De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 (N996SA), on a flight from Erie, Pennsylvania to Charlotte, descended below the glide path on approach to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, collided with a tree and struck the ground 1.6 km away from the airport. The crash was due to pilot error. The pilot was killed. There was no one else on board.^[9]

• On July 2, 1994, USAir Flight 1016 crashed in a residential area on approach, killing 37. The crash of the DC-9 was attributed to windshear. The flight originated in Columbia, South Carolina.

• On January 8, 2003, US Airways Express Flight 5481 crashed at the airport, killing all 21 people aboard. The flight was operated by Air Midwest, an independent airline operating under a US Airways Express codesharing agreement.

• On August 10, 2007, a TSA agent at one of the airport's security checkpoints saw a man bypass security. The FAA grounded flights out of the airport, but the man was never found. The incident was covered nationally on CNN and MSNBC using WCNC-TV footage at the airport.

• On December 20, 2008 a man in the US Airways B concourse undressed completely and tried to speak on the gate PA system. When his efforts were interrupted he violently forced his way past the airline agent and onto a jetway towards the waiting aircraft. The naked man made it into the first class cabin before he was subdued by an off-duty Florida police officer who had witnessed the incident from the concourse waiting area.

[edit] Airlines and destinations

[edit] Concourse A

Concourse A has 12 Gates: A1 - A12. Gates A5 and A7 are officially designated as common-use gates and can be used by any airline depending on an operational need.

[edit] Concourse B

Concourse B has 16 Gates: B1 - B16

[edit] Concourse C

Concourse C has 18 Gates: C2 - C19

[edit] Concourse D

Concourse D has 13 Gates: D1 - D13

[edit] Concourse E

Concourse E has 33 Gates: E1 - E31, E32A-B

[edit] Ground transportation

CATS bus #5 connects the airport to the downtown Charlotte Transportation Center. It picks up in front of Zone D Baggage Claim.

[edit] Military Facilities

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is also home to Charlotte Air National Guard Base, home to the 145th Airlift Wing (145 AW), an Air Mobility Command (AMC)-gained unit of the North Carolina Air National Guard flying the C-130H Hercules tactical airlift aircraft.^[11] Charlotte ANGB is located on the east side of the airport and also provides a full-equipped and fully-manned USAF aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) station that routinely augments the airport's civilian ARFF organization.

Over 1000 Air National Guard personnel are assigned to the 145 AW, consisting of a combination of full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) and Air Reserve Technician (ART) personnel, and part-time "traditional" air national guardsmen. The unit is one of a select number of Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command airlift wings employing the Modular Aircraft Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) in support of wildfire supression operations in the United States.^[12] The wing also maintains a world-wide deployment capability in support of Air Mobility Command and unified combatant commander tasking.

[edit] See also

• North Carolina World War II Army Airfields

[edit] References

• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (official site)
• FAA Airport Master Record for CLT (Form 5010 PDF)

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Passenger statistics for CLT
2. ^ "Charlotte Faces Loss of Hub Status and Potential for Big Service Cuts". The Charlotte Observer. http://www.airportbusiness.com/article/article.jsp?id=8959&siteSection=35. Retrieved on 2008-01-01.  "Because Delta's main hub, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, is only 240 miles (390 km) from Charlotte, a US Airways-Delta merger is a particular worry for Charlotte, which has nonstop service to 135 cities -- a high number for a city its size."
3. ^ "US Airways defying US trends with healthy growth at its main Charlotte hub". anna.aero. 5th September 2008. http://www.anna.aero/2008/09/05/us-airways-defying-us-trends-with-healthy-growth-at-its-main-charlotte-hub/. 
4. ^ "Fast Facts". Charlotte Douglas International Airport. The City of Charlotte. http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Airport/About+CLT/Fast+Facts.htm. 
5. ^ "SEC Edgar doc". http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/701345/000095012305011287/p70803a2sv1za.htm#134. 
6. ^ "Fastest Growing". http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2007-04-18-charlotte-airport-is-fastest-growing_N.htm. 
7. ^ "CLT Airport Advisory Committee May 1st, 2008 Minutes". http://www.charmeck.org/NR/rdonlyres/euiwqozd27cbawsmkdlliqu5inyg3vqo6n3ocgn77qpuzogvnrrrdsewejn4wypofe3cqazovqq4x6qedeat7wh2psh/May12008AACMinutes.pdf. 
8. ^ "Eastern 212 Accident Report" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board. 1975-05-23. http://libraryonline.erau.edu/online-full-text/ntsb/aircraft-accident-reports/AAR75-09.pdf. 
9. ^ "Accident description". http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19880119-0. Retrieved on 2006-11-26. 
10. ^ US Airways awarded Charlotte-Rio route
11. ^ http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/usaf/145aw.htm
12. ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/145th_Airlift_Wing

[edit] External links

• NCDOT Airport Information: Charlotte/Douglas International Airport PDF (312 KiB)
• FAA Airport Diagram(PDF), effective 12 March 2009
• Resources for this airport:
  • AirNav airport information for KCLT
  • ASN accident history for CLT
  • FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
  • NOAA/NWS latest weather observations
  • SkyVector aeronautical chart for KCLT
  • FAA current CLT delay information
• Guide to WiFi access at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport

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