Charlotte airport lays out plans for $2.1B in upgrades
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Charlotte Douglas International Airport atrium. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Charlotte Douglas International Airport's latest Airline Use and Lease Agreement (AULA) would kickstart a $2.1 billion capital development project called CLT Beyond.
Why it matters: That's about four times bigger than the roughly $460 million capital program from the airport's previous AULA deal.
The latest: These figures were part of a presentation from airport leaders at Monday night's Charlotte City Council meeting. Airport officials say they're ready to proceed with the deal starting Jan. 1, 2027. The deal was previously set to expire this past June, but was extended for one year in May.
State of play: The presentation provided the framework for a new deal with CLT's signatory airlines — American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and United.
- CLT is American's second-largest hub, with the airline leasing 93 of the airport's 123 gates.
Between the lines: The airport is owned by the city but is financially self-sustaining.
- "The goal is really to lease out everything that's in the terminal," CLT chief business and innovation officer Ted Kaplan told council Monday night.
How it works: These five signatory airlines would commit to a 10.5-year lease, with the possibility of a five-year extension.
- The agreement is open to any qualifying airlines throughout the lease, whether that's in year one or several years from now. CLT has around 16 total carriers.
What to expect: CLT Beyond includes nearly a dozen airport improvements, namely adding gates to Concourse C and a tunnel that would take passengers from the expanded section to the main terminal.
Go deeper: Charlotte airport proposes new gates and tunnel in airline agreement
What they're saying: Concourse C's expansion would be the "showstopper" of CLT Beyond, Kaplan said.
What we're watching: How long council will look over the deal before voting is TBD. Council members voted to have six weeks for review, but Mayor Rob Harrington ultimately vetoed the motion. Harrington said there was a lack of discussion surrounding the timeline for a vote.
- "I will work with council to set a time period that makes sense for all of us to reconsider this," Harrington said. "But I'm not comfortable with a motion and a decision tonight to set a specific timeline."