Tillis fires warning shots at Charlotte leaders ahead of airport vote
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Sen. Tillis (center) at the 2023 groundbreaking for CLT's new runway. Photo: Ashley Mahoney/Axios
Outgoing U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) says he will pursue the utilization of an airport authority independent of local government if anyone "steps out of line and challenges or threatens the independence of that airport."
Why it matters: Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of the region's biggest economic assets, and a defining vote awaits Charlotte City Council as they weigh a new Airline Use and Lease Agreement with CLT's signatory airlines.
Driving the news: Charlotte City Council is expected to vote Monday, Nov. 9, on the AULA.
What they're saying: "I've already made it clear that I would go to the Department of Transportation, I would go to the administration, I'd go wherever I have to to get the DOT to do exactly what we can do now," Tillis said on the R&D in the NC podcast, hosted by former city council members Tariq Bokhari and Larken Egleston.
- Tillis says his action would be a "fail safe" and something he doesn't want to do, but he would if he deems it necessary.
- "I have seen city councils destroy airports and have to recover from them," Tillis says.
Catch up quick: CLT's proposed AULA would kick off a $2.1 billion capital development project called CLT Beyond and keep the airport's signatory airlines, including American Airlines here for the next decade.
- CLT is owned by the city but is financially self-sustaining.
Zoom in: Concerns have been raised about worker pay and conditions, which are not included in the AULA. State law does not allow the city to intervene in subcontractor pay. Nevertheless, council members have raised questions about these concerns.
- "I think the point is, to be fair to them, they believe they are the champion of the little guy," Bokhari said on the podcast.
- "I don't care," Tillis responded. "You be a champion of the little guy off of that airport complex, because if you want to diminish our reputation and our competitive advantage away right now — there's a reason why we're a hub for American Airlines. We're the most profitable hub in their system and it's because Jerry Orr and subsequent airport administrators have stayed true to the mission of making the airport the best it can possibly be without government interference."
Context: State lawmakers passed legislation in 2013 to create an airport authority independent of Charlotte City Council (Tillis was speaker of the state House at the time).
- After legal back-and-forth with the city, the authority was replaced by a commission. The Federal Aviation Administration never approved the transfer of control of the airport.
Flashback: Charlotte's airport was established in the 1930s largely at the expense of the federal government, primarily through Works Progress Administration funding, putting people to work during the Great Depression.
- As CLT has evolved, it has been instrumental to Charlotte's growth and it has become a selling point as companies bring their headquarters to town.
The bottom line: Tillis says he is prepared to "move heaven and earth to create an airport authority" if anyone in local government "steps out of line."
Axios has reached out to Tillis' office for additional comment. A spokesperson for Charlotte Douglas International Airport declined to comment on Tillis' statements.
Go deeper: Plans for CLT upgrades