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'Charlotte Douglas International Airport' is a major international airport located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Established in 1935 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, in 1954 the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport after former Charlotte mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr. The airport gained its current name in 1982, and is currently a major domestic and international air hub for US Airways.

Contents

History

The early years

1950 to mid-1960s: into the jet age

Late 1960s to 1978: growth pre-deregulation

1978 to 1989: Becoming a major hub

1990 to 2004: the influence of US Airways

2005 and beyond

Construction

Incidents and accidents

Airlines and destinations

Concourse A

Concourse B

Concourse C

Concourse D (International)

Concourse E

Trivia

References

Notes

External links

History

The early years

The city received a $200,000 grant from the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1930 to establish Charlotte's first municipal airport.
In 1936, the 'Charlotte Municipal Airport' opened and was operated by the City of Charlotte. Eastern Air Lines began its first regularly scheduled passenger service in 1937. The United States Army Air Forces took control of the airport and established Morris Field Air Base in 1941.

1950 to mid-1960s: into the jet age

In 1950, Eastern Airlines began regularly scheduled passenger service from CLT. In 1954, a 70,000 square foot passenger terminal opened, and the airport was renamed 'Douglas Municipal Airport' in honor of former Charlotte Mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr. The terminal had two floors, although passenger operations were confined to the ground floor. Ticketing and baggage claim were located on each side of an open space which bisected the building from north to south, and a mezzanine restaurant and various airline offices overlooked this open space. Delta Air Lines began regularly scheduled passenger service in 1956.
Eastern Air Lines began the region's first regularly scheduled jet service in 1962. Eastern used the west pier, Piedmont and Delta the center pier, and United and Southern used the east pier.

Late 1960s to 1978: growth pre-deregulation

A major renovation project in the late 1960s expanded the facility considerably. Eastern opened a 'unit terminal' in 1967, replacing the old west pier. This new facility had 8 dedicated gates for Eastern, each with its own departure lounge, as well as a snack bar and separate baggage claim space. Eastern passengers continued to check in at the main terminal.
Two years later in 1969, a new enclosed concourse was built parallel to the center pier. When it was completed, Piedmont, Eastern and Delta moved in and the old center pier was demolished. The new concourse also had separate departure lounges, as well as restrooms and an enlarged baggage claim area. United's flights continued to the use the east pier, although an enclosed holdroom was added for waiting passengers.
In 1973, Eastern added two more gates to the end of its west concourse.

1978 to 1989: Becoming a major hub

After airline deregulation in 1978, passenger numbers at the terminal nearly doubled between 1978 and 1980, and a new 10,000-foot parallel runway and control tower were opened in 1979 to handle the increased passenger loads. The airport's master plan also called for construction of a new terminal across the runway from the existing site. Ground for this expansion was broken in 1979.
In 1979, Piedmont Airlines dedicated Charlotte as the hub for its rapidly expanding route network. To accommodate the booming growth of the facility, a new 325,000-square-foot passenger terminal opened in 1982, and the airport was renamed 'Charlotte Douglas International Airport'. In 1987, Piedmont inaugurated non-stop service to London.
In the mid-1980s, the old terminal site was converted in to a cargo center, and the central concourse and Eastern 'unit terminal' were removed to make way for larger, more modern cargo buildings. The original main building still stands, however, and is used for office space. The old control tower was removed in the late 1990's.
In 1989, Piedmont was acquired via merger by US Air.

1990 to 2004: the influence of US Airways

In 1990, a new 80,000 square-foot international and commuter concourse opened, and in 1991 further expansion of the terminal buildings continued, reflective of USAir's dominating presence at the airport.

In 1992, Lufthansa began Boeing 747 service to Germany; however, this service was discontinued shortly thereafter. In 1994, British Airways began service to London via a "global alliance" with USAir. This has since been discontinued, as the airlines have chosen opposite alliances.
When USAir became US Airways in 1996, Charlotte remained its largest hub in terms of passenger traffic, and in 1999, plans were announced for the construction of a regional carrier concourse (present-day Concourse E) and for the expansion of Concourses A and D.
In 2002, the new 26-gate Concourse E opened, and US Airways also began non-stop service to Belize, Freeport, Providenciales, Punta Cana, and St. Croix.
In 2003, the main ticketing hall was expanded to the east, providing 13 additional ticketing counters and a new security checkpoint; and Concourse D was expanded by an additional 9 gates. That year, US Airways began service to Costa Rica, Mexico City, and St. Kitts. Lufthansa also returned to the airport, this time providing service to Munich.

2005 and beyond

Following US Airways' acquisition by America West Airlines (the airline will retain the US Airways name), Charlotte (CLT) remains the primary domestic hub for the airline. However, the vast majority of US Airways' international routes are served out of the airline's second-largest hub, Philadelphia. In April 2007, Charlotte was the fastest growing airport in the US. CLT went on to surpass its sister hub in Philadelphia as one of the 30 busiest airports in the world in terms of passenger traffic. A new terminal to the northwest of the center of the airport will be built in the near future, possibly as a Caribbean/Latin America terminal. As a result, rental car agencies will reportedly be placed in the bottom level of the closer 2 parking decks. Concourse E is currently being expanded to include a wing that can hold 8-12 gates. On July 11, 2007, Concourse E opened a new wing, including revamped gates 21-26.

Construction

Runway Construction - Construction of CLT's third parallel runway began this spring. At 9,000 feet long, the new "third parallel" will allow three independent approaches for arrivals, automatically increasing air service by 33 percent.
Construction will involve two phases. The first phase, beginning in March, will include grading and drainage. The second phase is scheduled to begin in Spring 2009. It will include paving and lighting of the runway.
The anticipated runway completion date is January 2010. The project is funded through federal grants, passenger facility charges and bond funds. The Runway construction also has planned to reroute several roads around the airport.

Incidents and accidents

★ On September 11, 1974, Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 crashed on final approach en route from Charleston, SC. The crash site is 3.3 miles due south of Runway 36 west of York Road & north of Thornfield Road. The NTSB determined that the probable cause of the accident, was a "lack of altitude awareness" of the pilots, at critical points during the approach. The pilots conversed regarding numerous non-operational topics. With pilot attention drawn outside the aircraft, altitude "call outs" were neglected. With foggy treetops in sight, the pilot pulled back sharply & went to full throttle. The DC-9-31, traveling over 200 MPH, clipped trees, snapped wings, ruptured fuel tanks and spilled 13,000 pounds of JP-5 fuel. The fiery airliner slid through dense woods into a ravine, broke into pieces, coming to rest with most exit doors blocked by pine trees. The Steele Creek Vol. Fire Dept. responded quickly extingushing the fire within minutes. Of 82 people onboard, 13 survived the crash and fire. Many passengers were wearing stylish "double-knit" garments that adhered to the skin when burned. Two other passengers died several days later. ^[1]

★ 19 January 1988 - Mountain Air Cargo De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 200 (N996SA), on a flight from Erie, Pennsylvania to Charlotte, descended below the glide path on approach to Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, collided with a tree and struck the ground 1.6km away from the airport. The crash was due to pilot error. The pilot was killed. There was no one else on board.^[2]

★ On July 2, 1994, USAir Flight 1016 crashed in a residential area on approach, killing 37. The crash of the DC-9 was attributed to windshear. The flight originated in Columbia, South Carolina.

★ On January 8, 2003, US Airways Express Flight 5481 crashed at the airport, killing all 21 people aboard. The flight was operated by Air Midwest, an independent airline operating under a US Airways Express codesharing agreement.

★ On August 10, 2007, a TSA agent at one of the airport's security checkpoints saw a man bypass security. The FAA grounded flights out of the airport, but the man was never found. The incident was covered nationally on CNN and MSNBC using WCNC footage at the airport.

Airlines and destinations

Concourse A

Concourse A has 12 Gates: A1 - A12

★ Air Canada Gate A2

★
★ Air Canada Jazz (Toronto-Pearson)

★ AirTran Airways Gates A5, A7 (Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Chicago-Midway, Orlando)

★ American Airlines Gates A9, A11 (Dallas/Fort Worth)

★
★ AmericanConnection operated by Trans States Airlines (St. Louis)

★
★ American Eagle (Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, New York-LaGuardia)

★ Continental Airlines Gates A10, A12

★
★ Continental Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines (Cleveland, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark)

★ Delta Air Lines Gates A1, A3 (Atlanta, Salt Lake City)

★
★ Delta Connection operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines (Atlanta)

★
★ Delta Connection operated by Comair (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, New York-LaGuardia)

★ Northwest Airlines Gates A6, A8 (Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul)

★
★ Northwest Airlink operated by Pinnacle Airlines (Memphis)

★ United Airlines Gates A2, A4 (Chicago-O'Hare, Denver)

★
★ United Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles)

Concourse B

Concourse B has 16 Gates: B1 - B16

★ US Airways Gates B1 - B16 (Albany, Allentown/Bethlehem, Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Boston, Buffalo, Charleston (SC), Chicago-O'Hare, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Eagle/Vail [seasonal], Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Hartford, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Jacksonville (FL), Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Manchester (NH), Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, New Orleans, New York-LaGuardia, Newark, Norfolk, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Rochester (NY), San Diego, San Francisco, San Juan, Savannah, Seattle/Tacoma, St. Louis, St. Thomas, Syracuse, Tampa, Toronto-Pearson, Washington-Dulles, Washington-Reagan, West Palm Beach, Wilmington (NC))

Concourse C

Concourse C has 18 Gates: C2 - C19

★ US Airways Gates C2 - C19 (See Concourse B)

★
★ US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines (Albany, Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Birmingham (AL), Charleston (SC), Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Detroit, Greensboro, Harrisburg, Houston-Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Little Rock (AR), Manchester (NH), Memphis, Nashville, New York-JFK, Newark, Norfolk, Portland (ME), Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Savannah, St. Louis, Washington-Dulles, Wilmington (NC))

Concourse D (International)

Concourse D has 13 Gates: D1 - D13

★ JetBlue Airways Gate D6 (Boston, Fort Lauderdale [seasonal; begins January 10], New York-JFK)

★ Lufthansa Gate D12 (Munich)

★ Midwest Airlines

★
★ Midwest Connect operated by SkyWest (Milwaukee) [begins September 16]

★ US Airways Gates D1 - D3, D5, D7 - D11, D13 (Aruba, Barbados, Bermuda, Belize City, Cancun, Cozumel, Frankfurt, Freeport, Georgetown(BH), Grand Cayman, Guatemala City, Liberia, London-Gatwick, Mexico City, Montego Bay, Nassau, Providenciales, Punta Cana, San Jose (CR), St. Croix, St. Kitts, St.Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Thomas)

★
★ US Airways Express Gate D4

Concourse E

Concourse E has 30 Gates: E1 - E32

★ US Airways Gates E1 - E32

★
★ US Airways Express operated by Air Midwest (Athens (GA), Lewisburg)

★
★ US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin (Albany, Asheville, Atlanta, Blountville/Tri-Cities, Boston, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Columbia, Fayetteville (AR), Greensboro, Greenville (SC), Huntsville, Indianapolis, Jackson, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, Newport News, Norfolk, Roanoke, Savannah, Syracuse, Toronto-Pearson, White Plains)

★
★ US Airways Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines (Columbus (OH), Fayetteville (NC), Greenville (SC), Indianapolis, Louisville, Raleigh/Durham)

★
★ US Airways Express operated by Piedmont Airlines (Asheville, Augusta (GA), Blountville/Tri-Cities, Chattanooga, Charleston (WV), Charlottesville, Columbia, Fayetteville (NC), Florence (SC), Greenville (SC), Hilton Head, Huntington, Jacksonville (NC), Knoxville, Lynchburg, New Bern, Newport News, Norfolk, Roanoke, Salisbury)

★
★ US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines (Akron, Albany, Allentown/Bethlehem, Atlanta, Birmingham (AL), Blountville/Tri-Cities, Boston, Buffalo, Charleston (SC), Charleston (WV), Charlottesville, Chattanooga, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus (OH), Dayton, Detroit, Fayetteville (AR), Fayetteville (NC), Gainesville (FL), Greensboro, Greenville (SC), Harrisburg, Indianapolis, Jacksonville (NC), Kansas City, Knoxville, Little Rock, Lexington, Louisville, Manchester (NH), Memphis, Milwaukee, Mobile, Montgomery, Myrtle Beach, Nashville, New Bern, Newark, Norfolk, Pensacola, Portland (ME), Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Roanoke, Rochester (NY), Sarasota/Bradenton, Tallahassee, Washington-Dulles, Wilmington (NC))

★
★ US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines (Atlanta, Baltimore/Washington, Birmingham (AL), Chicago O'Hare, Cleveland, Columbus (OH), Greensboro, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, Norfolk, Providence, Richmond, Rochester (NY), Sarasota/Bradenton, Savannah, Toronto-Pearson)

Trivia

The father and two brothers of a young Stephen Colbert, the American satirist and host of ''The Colbert Report'' on Comedy Central, were killed in the 1974 crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 just south of the airport.
Wide-body aircraft regularly servicing the airport:

★ Boeing 767 - US Airways

★ Boeing 747 - Polar Air Cargo

★ Antonov An-124 - Polet Flight Cargo (2nd largest plane in the world)

★ Airbus A300 - FedEx

★ Airbus A310 - FedEx

★ Airbus A330 - US Airways, Lufthansa

★ Airbus A340 - Lufthansa

References

★ Charlotte Douglas International Airport (official site)

★

Notes

1. Eastern 212 Accident Report
2. Aviation Safety Network retrieved 26 November 2006

External links

★ NCDOT Airport Information:

★

★ Guide to WiFi access at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport