Airport workers and community advocates plan to stage a visible protest at Charlotte Douglas International Airport today, calling attention to a new report showing that Charlotte travelers pay the highest nonstop domestic fares in the country. The demonstration, set for 12:20 p.m. at Door 3 on the arrivals level, will feature workers in purple, large inflatable airplane balloons, and banners urging the city to demand better terms from American Airlines as it negotiates a new long-term lease.
The rally centers on a New Soil Analytics report revealing that CLT passengers paid 33.4% more per nonstop domestic fare over the last decade than travelers at comparable airports. In 2024 alone, fares were 20.4% higher, and in 2018 the gap reached 42.3%. Charlotte passengers paid an average of $119 more per round trip, totaling $5.62 billion in excess costs since 2015, with $3.26 billion coming from Charlotte-area residents.
Workers say American Airlines’ near-monopoly—handling nearly 90% of CLT’s passenger traffic—drives those costs. They argue that despite record revenues, many contracted airport employees still earn as little as $12.50 an hour, and face chronic understaffing and unsafe conditions.
“Too many of us are still struggling just to survive. I know what that struggle looks like. I’ve lived it. I’ve gone from staying in a storage unit, to an extended-stay hotel, to sleeping in my car,” said Timothy Lowe II, a High Lift Driver servicing American Airlines planes. “There are workers who keep this airport moving every single day and can’t afford a place to live—let alone a ticket to take a vacation.”
Our airport remains the cheapest major US airport for airlines to operate, even as flight activity at Charlotte Douglas grew 11% last year. Workers argue that benefits from that growth are not reaching employees or passengers. They want Charlotte leaders to secure a lease that improves wages, strengthens safety standards, and encourages more airline competition.
Advocates warn that without meaningful changes, Charlotte travelers will continue paying the nation’s highest fares while working families and airport staff shoulder the burden.
