The Charlotte Douglas International Airport has now ended their busiest year in history. Last year, CLT saw a total of 46.4 million passengers walk through their gates, which is almost half a million more than in 2017. Last year’s totals also amount to a 34% increase in passengers from just 10 years ago, according to a press release by the airport.
“We would like to thank the millions of passengers who chose CLT as their first choice for air travel,” commented Aviation Director/CEO Brent Cagle. “Expansion of the hub, Charlotte region and the Airport’s strong customer demand have placed us on a path of continued growth for the foreseeable future that we welcome.”
Our airport also saw 550,013 total landings and departures, a .4% increase over 2017, and a total of 178,805 tons of goods transported, a 2% increase over 2017.
The Charlotte Douglas International Airport now ranks as the 7th busiest airport in the world.
These numbers are expected to significantly increase in 2019 with the expansion of low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, which will add 17 new direct destinations out of the Queen City.
As an economic engine of the Carolinas, CLT contributes $23 billion in annual economic output to the Charlotte region, including $1.1 billion in state/local taxes, 132,330 jobs for local residents and $5.7 billion in personal income.