Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)
History, Facts and Overview

(Charlotte, North Carolina - NC, USA)

Building work of Charlotte Douglas Airport began in 1930 and was finally completed in 1936, at the cost of around $200,000. Civil flights soon followed, although the US Air Force took over Charlotte's airport during the war years.

The year of 1954 was an important time in the history of Charlotte Douglas Airport, when its new passenger terminal was unveiled. At this stage, the airport became known as the Douglas Municipal, being named after its mayor, Ben Elbert Douglas. Soon after, Delta Airlines began operating here and soon provided modern jet-drive planes, encouraging local tourism.


During the sixties, much expansion work was carried out and a new concourse constructed, followed in 1979 by a new runway and control tower, and a large passenger terminal in 1982. More recently, a large commuter concourse was inaugurated in 1990, followed by runway extensions and ambitious upgrading plans due to be completed by the beginning of 2009.

The single terminal facility at Charlotte Douglas Airport comes with a branch of the Bank of America, and cash machines on both levels, operated by the First Citizens Bank of Wachovia. There are also first-aid services, a 24-hour interfaith chapel, a Terminal Getaway Spa, a CLT Business Center and more than 30 different shops. Duty-free options are especially popular, while other shoppers' favorites include the Brookstone Kiosk, Charlotte Daily News, Erwin Pearl, News Connection, Queen City Gifts, Simply Books and Travelers' Treasures.

Spread around Charlotte Douglas Airport are more than 50 cafés, restaurants and bars. These include many well-known brands such as Burger King, California Pizza Kitchen, Chili's To Go, Cinnabon, Great American Bagel, KFC Express and Starbucks. Both the Carolina Sports Bar and the Charlotte Bistro are also popular.