Busy year at CLT despite decrease in traffic

Business NC | 01.28.2026

If trips last year via Charlotte Douglas International Airport seemed busy, there’s a reason. The airport reported Wednesday it served 53.6 million passengers in 2025, the second-busiest year in CLT history.

Total passengers decreased 0.37% from the record 53.8 million passengers in 2024, but increased 0.2% from the 53.5 million passengers in 2023.

Airport officials say the region’s population boom is a big part of its increase in traffic.

Passenger activity at CLT continues to evolve, with 35% of travelers beginning their trip in Charlotte, up 10% from a decade ago. The other 65% connect through the airport. Nearly 12 million travelers passed through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints in 2025, a 2% decrease from 2024, but 9% higher than 2023.

By comparison, Raleigh-Durham International Airport reported a record 15.6 million passengers last year, compared with 15.4 million in the previous year.

International travel at the Charlotte airport remained strong, with 4.7 million international passengers traveling through CLT in 2025. Charlotte Douglas connects travelers to 43 international destinations. American Airlines added nonstop service to Athens, Greece, on June 5, while Etihad Airway  will launch nonstop flights to Abu Dhabi, UAE, beginning March 20.

The October completion of the Terminal Lobby Expansion, the largest passenger‑facing construction project in CLT history, added 175,000 square feet of lobby space and renovated another 191,000 square feet to accommodate the regional surge. The security checkpoints benefited from additional lanes and technological innovations, according to a release.

“2026 will be a year of sustainable, long-term growth as we continue investing in critical infrastructure to enhance efficiency, capacity and the passenger experience,” said airport CEO Haley Gentry.

Construction projects will continue this yearr on the Fourth Parallel Runway and its associated taxiways. Renovations on Concourses D and E are scheduled for completion in 2026 and 2027, respectively.