Charlotte Douglas International Airport: Hours of operation

• "No ticket is required at any time in the public areas (pre-security), an airport spokesperson told Axios via email.

By the numbers: A record 53.4 million passengers traveled through Charlotte Douglas in 2023, breaking the previous record of 50.2 million set in 2019, according to airport officials, who only expect traffic to get busier.

State of play: TSA tries to wait until the last flight clears before closing the last checkpoint, TSA spokesperson Mark Howell tells Axios. If a flight is delayed, and that has been communicated to TSA, security will remain open until that flight has closed.

• “If you get there after the checkpoint has closed, you’re going to have to get in contact with the airline to rebook your flight,” Howell says.

Charlotte has five security checkpoints, which are in the process of being consolidated into three checkpoints with updated technology. Checkpoint 1, which recently reopened after being closed for months of renovations, stays open the latest:

• Checkpoint A is open from 3:30am – 7:45pm for TSA PreCheck or if you're an employee.
• Checkpoint 1 is open from 3:30am – 11:45pm. It has standard and special assistance screening (think strollers and wheelchairs).
• Checkpoint C closed Sept. 5 for Checkpoint 2 construction. TSA PreCheck has been moved from Checkpoint C to Checkpoint A.
• Checkpoint D is currently closed for renovations.
• Checkpoint E is open from 4:30am – 8:45pm. Head here for standard or special assistance screening.
• You can check security wait times and checkpoint hours here.

By the numbers: Fifteen airlines fly out of Charlotte and American Airlines accounts for roughly 90% of those flights, per an American Airlines spokesperson. Charlotte is American Airlines’ second-largest hub behind Dallas.

American Airlines’ ticket counter is open from 4:15am – 10:30pm. Their goal is to be open two hours before their first flight of the day and until the last customer in line has been assisted for the final flight of the day.

• You can check in online or on the airlines’ app 24 hours before your flight and up to 45 minutes before a domestic flight (90 for an international flight).

• You must arrive at least 45 minutes before a domestic flight to check your bags or check in at the airport and at least an hour for an international flight.
• If you run into an issue at Charlotte Douglas, you can call the airline at 800-433-7300 for English and 800-633-3711 for Spanish. Both lines are available 24/7. Other language options can be found here. You can also use the “chat with us” feature on the app under “contact American” at the bottom of the Home Screen.

Security and ticket counter hours are subject to change.

Zoom out: Spring break travel smashed previous records for front door traffic (meaning passengers who went through security). 45,801 passengers were screened on March 28 and 44,561 passengers were screened on March 29, according to TSA spokesperson Daniel Velez.

• Charlotte’s previous record for front door traffic was 41,175, which was set on Aug. 2, 2019.

The bottom line: Things are only going to get busier at Charlotte Douglas. Get to the airport with plenty of time before your flight, especially if traffic just to get to the terminal was anything like it was during Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2023.

Editor's note: This guide was published on Dec. 7, 2023 and was updated on Sept. 19, 2024 to reflect current construction updates.