Picture of the week: Charlotte Douglas Airport’s terminal lobby expansion

Credit: Charlotte Douglas Airport

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) has marked a major milestone in its Destination CLT portfolio with the Terminal Lobby Expansion (TLE), the largest passenger-facing construction project in the Airport’s history. The celebration comes ahead of the project’s substantial completion date of 1 October.

The five-year project, the crown-jewel of Destination CLT, increased lobby space by 175,000 square feet and renovated a further 191,000 square feet. When originally opened on 2 May 1982, the terminal was designed to serve approximately 2.8 million passengers annually. In 2024, CLT welcomed a record 58.8 million travellers, with 18 million, or 31 per cent, using the terminal lobby for arrivals and departures.

“The Terminal Lobby Expansion is a transformational milestone for CLT,” said Haley Gentry, CEO of Charlotte Douglas International Airport. “This monumental effort represents years of planning, construction and commitment to improving the passenger experience. We sincerely thank our passengers for their patience and support throughout this process. The result is a modern, spacious lobby that reflects the dynamic growth of our region and positions us for the future.”

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held on 10 December 2019, with construction starting after the holiday season. The timeline remained on schedule despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project was completed in six phases to minimise disruption to passengers and maintain efficient operations.

The TLE was the final element of a coordinated three-project construction effort, which began with the Hourly Parking Deck, followed by the Elevated Roadway and Terminal Curb Front. The Hourly Deck opened in 2015, providing room to widen the roadway. After the Elevated Roadway was completed in 2019, construction began on the lobby. Three inner lanes on the Departures/Ticketing level were used to support construction and reopened on 13 November 2024.

Key features of the Terminal Lobby Expansion include:

• Expanded and renovated basement, baggage claim and ticketing levels
• 146,000-square-foot canopy sheltering passengers from the elements
• Two pedestrian bridges linking the mezzanine to the Hourly Deck and two underground walkways allowing passengers to bypass terminal roadway traffic
• Pre-security concessions offering more food and beverage options
• 11 public art installations in partnership with the Arts & Science Council
• Four Automated Exit Lanes for seamless exit from the secure area
• Eight high-capacity baggage devices
• Consolidation from five TSA checkpoints to three, increasing lanes from 17 to 21, including 11 Automated Screening Lanes

The anchor of the terminal is the Queen Charlotte statue, a landmark since 1990, created by Raymond Kaskey. The 16-foot, 3,000-pound bronze sculpture stands atop a 46-foot plinth in Queens Court on the baggage claim level. Across from the statue is The Queen’s Kitchen, CLT’s first full-service restaurant outside the secure area. The statue was moved in 2020 for restoration and returned in June 2021, protected in a specially built structure, and officially unveiled on 20 October 2023.

With an estimated cost of £608 million, the TLE was funded through Passenger Facility Charge revenues, Customer Facility Charge revenues, General Airport Revenue Bonds and Airport Cash. Charlotte City Council approved the construction contract on 28 October 2019. Construction was carried out by Holder-Edison Foard-R.J. Leeper, with architectural design by Gresham Smith.

The opening of Concourse A – Phase II last September and the Terminal Lobby Expansion increased the Airport’s total square footage from 1.8 million to 2.4 million.

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