Charlotte-Douglas Airport (CLT) Expansion

[stiluvclt]

I know, from UPers, that the airport model has been moved or relocated but WHY, is there not a published rendering of “E”.  I flew into CLT about a month ago and never had the opportunity to go on the roof of the car rental garage so I really couldn’t visualize a finished product. Is this a “design as you build “ thang or are there actually renderings of a finished “E”?

[uptownliving]

1 hour ago, stiluvclt said:

I know, from UPers, that the airport model has been moved or relocated but WHY, is there not a published rendering of “E”.  I flew into CLT about a month ago and never had the opportunity to go on the roof of the car rental garage so I really couldn’t visualize a finished product. Is this a “design as you build “ thang or are there actually renderings of a finished “E”?

https://www.ls3p.com/portfolio/charlotte-douglas-international-airport-concourse-e-expansion/

[Urban Cowboy]

Great resource for active and planned projects. Scroll down and click on any project name/expandable carrot underneath "Destination CLT Projects"

https://cltairport.mediaroom.com/destination-clt

Edited July 27, 2021 by Urban Cowboy

[CltFlyer]

CLT will get a second SCASD route.  St. Augustine, FL (UST)  Attached is a summary of all awards.

file:///C:/Users/tyler/Downloads/DOT-OST-2020-0231-0199_attachment_1.pdf

[CarolinaDaydreamin]

13 hours ago, CltFlyer said:

CLT will get a second SCASD route.  St. Augustine, FL (UST)  Attached is a summary of all awards.

file:///C:/Users/tyler/Downloads/DOT-OST-2020-0231-0199_attachment_1.pdf

I would like them to get the grant to continue a flight to Athens, GA. To me it makes more sense than adding Valdosta. US Airways maintained this flight for years. A good alternative to ATL for the exploding north GA suburbs (Gwinnett, Hall, Barrow, Oconee counties ) and the University of Georgia (which has tons of Charlotte area students).

Edited July 28, 2021 by CarolinaDaydreamin

[LKN704]

Came across this the other day: https://www.greshamsmith.com/project/charlotte-douglas-international-airport-signage-and-wayfinding-master-plan/

I'm a big graphic design nerd, so I thought it was a cool read. If anyone can find the CLT Wayfinding Master Plan/Sign Standards Guide, let me know as I would be interested to see it. It looks like the garages will eventually be colored coded, and the new design of the wayfinding signs that were installed in A/B/C will also be installed along the terminal roadway. 

I  have noticed that the new signage (in addition to the blue walls amongst the entrances to the new bathrooms, in addition to other walls in the terminal lobby rendering) all have this linear pattern...the pattern is supposed to represent the textile mill heritage of Charlotte. 

[Madison Parkitect]

1 hour ago, LKN704 said:

Came across this the other day: https://www.greshamsmith.com/project/charlotte-douglas-international-airport-signage-and-wayfinding-master-plan/

I'm a big graphic design nerd, so I thought it was a cool read. If anyone can find the CLT Wayfinding Master Plan/Sign Standards Guide, let me know as I would be interested to see it. It looks like the garages will eventually be colored coded, and the new design of the wayfinding signs that were installed in A/B/C will also be installed along the terminal roadway. 

I  have noticed that the new signage (in addition to the blue walls amongst the entrances to the new bathrooms, in addition to other walls in the terminal lobby rendering) all have this linear pattern...the pattern is supposed to represent the textile mill heritage of Charlotte. 

The new signage is so good, especially the very helpful "walking times to _____" signs and the ones that signify whether there are restrooms or restaurants or whatever in specific gate areas.

[tozmervo]

Generally I like the new signage, and it doesn't seem like a design that will look too dated in a few years. My only concern is that it only looks good when it's lit - when there's no internal light the signage is extremely dull/flat.

[thenewkage95]

Does anyone know about the 4th parallel runway and the length of it? They keep changing it and I’m not sure why. I believe Boeing 777 is the largest aircraft that can utilize Charlotte as a destination airport. Currently neither B747 nor A380 have Charlotte as a destination airport. It’s pretty sad considering Charlotte punches far above its weight class and is by far the largest airport without a runway in excess of 10,000 feet. Below is a list of the US airports approved for A380 and B747 destination.

 

AIRBUS 380 MoS

• ANC - Anchorage International Airport
• ATL - Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport
• BOS - Boston Logan International Airport
• DEN - Denver International Airport
• DFW - Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport
• HNL - Honolulu International Airport
• IAD - Washington Dulles International Airport
• IAH - Houston Intercontinental Airport, Texas
• JFK - John F. Kennedy International Airport
• LAX - Los Angeles International Airport
• MCO - Orlando International Airport
• MEM - Memphis International Airport
• MIA - Miami International Airport
• ORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport 
• SDF - Louisville International Airport, Kentucky
• SFO - San Francisco International Airport 

BOEING 747-8 MoS

• ANC - Anchorage International Airport
• ATL - Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport
• BOS - Boston Logan International Airport
• BQN - Rafael Hernandez Airport, Puerto Rico
• CVG - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
• DEN - Denver International Airport
• DFW - Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport
• DTW - Detroit Metro International Airport 
• EWR - Newark International Airport, New Jersey
• GSP - Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, South Carolina
• HNL - Honolulu International Airport 
• HSV - Huntsville International Airport, Alabama 
• IAD - Washington Dulles International Airport 
• IAH - Houston Intercontinental Airport, Texas 
• IND - Indianapolis International Airport 
• JFK - John F. Kennedy International Airport 
• LAX - Los Angeles International Airport 
• LCK - Rickenbacker International Airport, Ohio
• MCO - Orlando International Airport 
• MIA - Miami International Airport 
• ORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport 
• PDX - Portland International Airport, Oregon
• RFD - Rockford/Chicago International Airport 
• SEA - Seattle Tacoma International Airport 
• SFO - San Francisco International Airport 
• TOL - Toledo Express Airport, Ohio

[navigator319]

Does anyone know about the 4th parallel runway and the length of it? They keep changing it and I’m not sure why. I believe Boeing 777 is the largest aircraft that can utilize Charlotte as a destination airport. Currently neither B747 nor A380 have Charlotte as a destination airport. It’s pretty sad considering Charlotte punches far above its weight class and is by far the largest airport without a runway in excess of 10,000 feet. Below is a list of the US airports approved for A380 and B747 destination.
 

AIRBUS 380 MoS

• ANC - Anchorage International Airport
• ATL - Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport
• BOS - Boston Logan International Airport
• DEN - Denver International Airport
• DFW - Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport
• HNL - Honolulu International Airport
• IAD - Washington Dulles International Airport
• IAH - Houston Intercontinental Airport, Texas
• JFK - John F. Kennedy International Airport
• LAX - Los Angeles International Airport
• MCO - Orlando International Airport
• MEM - Memphis International Airport
• MIA - Miami International Airport
• ORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport 
• SDF - Louisville International Airport, Kentucky
• SFO - San Francisco International Airport 

BOEING 747-8 MoS

• ANC - Anchorage International Airport
• ATL - Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport
• BOS - Boston Logan International Airport
• BQN - Rafael Hernandez Airport, Puerto Rico
• CVG - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
• DEN - Denver International Airport
• DFW - Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport
• DTW - Detroit Metro International Airport 
• EWR - Newark International Airport, New Jersey
• GSP - Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, South Carolina
• HNL - Honolulu International Airport 
• HSV - Huntsville International Airport, Alabama 
• IAD - Washington Dulles International Airport 
• IAH - Houston Intercontinental Airport, Texas 
• IND - Indianapolis International Airport 
• JFK - John F. Kennedy International Airport 
• LAX - Los Angeles International Airport 
• LCK - Rickenbacker International Airport, Ohio
• MCO - Orlando International Airport 
• MIA - Miami International Airport 
• ORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport 
• PDX - Portland International Airport, Oregon
• RFD - Rockford/Chicago International Airport 
• SEA - Seattle Tacoma International Airport 
• SFO - San Francisco International Airport 
• TOL - Toledo Express Airport, Ohio

747 and 380 are both end of life out of production. As long as 777x size planes can land is all that is needed. Cargo is another story and CLT has many 747 size and up cargo planes all the time.

[LKN704]

3 hours ago, thenewkage95 said:

Does anyone know about the 4th parallel runway and the length of it? They keep changing it and I’m not sure why. I believe Boeing 777 is the largest aircraft that can utilize Charlotte as a destination airport. Currently neither B747 nor A380 have Charlotte as a destination airport. It’s pretty sad considering Charlotte punches far above its weight class and is by far the largest airport without a runway in excess of 10,000 feet. Below is a list of the US airports approved for A380 and B747 destination.

 

AIRBUS 380 MoS

• ANC - Anchorage International Airport
• ATL - Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport
• BOS - Boston Logan International Airport
• DEN - Denver International Airport
• DFW - Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport
• HNL - Honolulu International Airport
• IAD - Washington Dulles International Airport
• IAH - Houston Intercontinental Airport, Texas
• JFK - John F. Kennedy International Airport
• LAX - Los Angeles International Airport
• MCO - Orlando International Airport
• MEM - Memphis International Airport
• MIA - Miami International Airport
• ORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport 
• SDF - Louisville International Airport, Kentucky
• SFO - San Francisco International Airport 

BOEING 747-8 MoS

• ANC - Anchorage International Airport
• ATL - Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport
• BOS - Boston Logan International Airport
• BQN - Rafael Hernandez Airport, Puerto Rico
• CVG - Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport
• DEN - Denver International Airport
• DFW - Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport
• DTW - Detroit Metro International Airport 
• EWR - Newark International Airport, New Jersey
• GSP - Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, South Carolina
• HNL - Honolulu International Airport 
• HSV - Huntsville International Airport, Alabama 
• IAD - Washington Dulles International Airport 
• IAH - Houston Intercontinental Airport, Texas 
• IND - Indianapolis International Airport 
• JFK - John F. Kennedy International Airport 
• LAX - Los Angeles International Airport 
• LCK - Rickenbacker International Airport, Ohio
• MCO - Orlando International Airport 
• MIA - Miami International Airport 
• ORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport 
• PDX - Portland International Airport, Oregon
• RFD - Rockford/Chicago International Airport 
• SEA - Seattle Tacoma International Airport 
• SFO - San Francisco International Airport 
• TOL - Toledo Express Airport, Ohio

744s have visited the airport on numerous occasions.

I believe at the gates at the end of the D Concourse are equipped to handle the 747-8. I recall years back LH asked CLT to model if it was possible to service the city with the 747-8 and it was found that it was feasible. I believe some gates might even have the 747-8 as a parking indication line on the apron but I could be mistaken.

The FAA has determined that the proper length of the new parallel runway will be 10,000 feet based on the traffic CLT currently serves. 

It's unfortunate to say but I am in the camp that believes there will never be Asian service ex CLT, sans for maybe the Middle East. There are larger cities on the East Coast that either have spartan service to East Asia or lack service to East Asia all together. Look at Washington DC...third largest metro area in the country, but only sustains daily nonstop service to Beijing, Tokyo, and Seoul. Cathay closed Dulles due to Covid, and from what I have heard the DC-Beijing flight on United is a poor performer. 

That said,  thanks to lighter aircraft and engine improvements, a 787-8 at max take-off weight should be able to do Charlotte-Tokyo on a 10,000 ft runway comfortably. 

[KJHburg]

June boardings are at 97% of prepandemic levels.  I have to guess that CLT is one of the quickest rebounding airports in the country.  I have not flown anywhere since Feb. 2020 but maybe others who have can speak of what airports seem to be as busy or busier than CLT now.

""Passenger traffic at Charlotte Douglas International Airport neared pre-pandemic levels in June.  Newly released figures from airport officials show nearly 4.2 million people boarded or departed a plane at CLT last month, a slight increase over the 4.1 million passengers recorded there in May and off by just 3% from the 4.3 million people in June of 2019. A year ago, as Covid-19 continued to ravage air travel, passenger levels at CLT were down 62.5% to just shy of 1.6 million people. Meanwhile, the load factor — the percentage of occupied seats on a plane — logged in at 90.1%. That represents an uptick from 86.9% in May and is essentially unchanged from the 90.2% figure in June 2019.""

Passenger traffic at Charlotte Douglas International Airport bouncing back to pre-pandemic levels - Charlotte Business Journal (bizjournals.com)

[CltFlyer]

On 7/28/2021 at 11:16 AM, CarolinaDaydreamin said:

I would like them to get the grant to continue a flight to Athens, GA. To me it makes more sense than adding Valdosta. US Airways maintained this flight for years. A good alternative to ATL for the exploding north GA suburbs (Gwinnett, Hall, Barrow, Oconee counties ) and the University of Georgia (which has tons of Charlotte area students).

Funny you should suggest that.  Athens, GA applied for a SCASD grant for CLT service in 2019.  The ERJ would be a vastly larger aircraft than the one US Airways traditionally used.  

https://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/could-one-of-the-nation-s-top-college-football-towns-become-new-nonstop-destination-at-clt-/979745414/

 

[CltFlyer]

https://downloads.ctfassets.net/jaw4bomip9l3/4jtnV0U5IaSN6KK2ZO5eYz/1ffdee3a3f7c5cdc37cb2e6f2af61601/CLT_2020_Report_of_Achievement.pdf

A 2020 newsletter for CLT.  Too much to quote, but some good expansion/construction updates.

 

[Miesian Corners]

Does anyone know when the  D and E remodel will begin?  Both still have the old carpet, way finding, and seating. 

[LKN704]

I thought the project on Concourse E would install jet bridges on all gates that didn't currently have them? The document above just makes it seem that the project will only add jetways to the outdoor gates that were accessed by a covered walkway at the end of E. Very disappointing if that is the case. 

IIRC the D project was started and then halted with the pandemic (they just recently installed additional LED pendant lights). I would imagine the D project would be completed relatively faster than A/B/C given they are essentially just adding new carpeting, signage, and seating. 

[rancenc]

A win for St Augustine FL and Charlotte travelers!

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/business/travel/2021/08/03/st-augustine-airport-wins-faa-grant-offer-airline-service-n-c/5435980001/

[tozmervo]

7 minutes ago, rancenc said:

A win for St Augustine FL and Charlotte travelers!

https://www.news-journalonline.com/story/business/travel/2021/08/03/st-augustine-airport-wins-faa-grant-offer-airline-service-n-c/5435980001/

This site appears to have a non-paywall article on it: American Airlines - St. Augustine airport wins FAA grant to offer airline service to N.C. | Fintech Zoom - World Finance

The big takeaway is that St Augustine's airport hasn't had commercial air service since 2018. 

[KJHburg]

this is a good retail add for CLT and I prefer it over the 10+ Starbucks there.

From CLT Twitter

Edited August 3, 2021 by KJHburg

[jjwilli]

2 hours ago, KJHburg said:

this is a good retail add for CLT and I prefer it over the 10+ Starbucks there.

From CLT Twitter

Should be a Krispy Kreme

[DMann]

But of course, no question!

[carolinaboy]

15 hours ago, jjwilli said:

Should be a Krispy Kreme

Yes, Charlotte is the World Headquarters afterall. 

[Miesian Corners]

15 hours ago, jjwilli said:

Should be a Krispy Kreme

We once had one (current Cinnabon space). Sad.

[CltFlyer]

 A small lounge update.  The Centurion Lounge is now open daily from 7am to 10pm.  (It had been 7am to 7pm since re-opening).  This makes sense given the lounge location and the return of the 10pm flight bank.

At around 7:30 to 8pm there were groups of 5+ people waiting at the elevator to get in, but I had no problem finding space in the lounge to sit.  The food is back to self serve and the selection is quite impressive (and delicious).  

[cltcane]

Finally found the permit for the new The Club CLT lounge on A North.  $2.38MM to build a 5,729 SF lounge with the rendered bar, food prep area, and restrooms (presumably single-occupancy).  For comparison, the Admirals Club on B is approximately 4,500 SF and the Centurion Lounge is approximately 13,000 SF.   Definitely a nice addition, especially when flying a non-AA carrier, but I imagine this lounge will be at capacity often since will be accessible with Priority Pass and LoungeKey (the developer, Airport Dimensions, is owned by the same parent company).

https://webpermit.mecklenburgcountync.gov/download.aspx?PosseObjectId=407827637