CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Douglas International Airport officials are promising improvements for the December holiday travel surge following traffic gridlock for Thanksgiving.

For travel around Christmas, the airport will be adjusting stoplight times at nearby intersections, rerouting portions of the airport shuttle bus operation to help with roadway congestion and providing additional staffing along the Terminal Curb Front. 

The inbound roadway system is under review by officials for other potential long-term improvements.

During the Thanksgiving travel rush, the airport saw passenger traffic exceed the local passenger traffic of 2022 by 18%.  That caused vehicular traffic arriving at the airport for arrivals and departures to get stuck in major delays.

Unlike other airports of its size, Charlotte Douglas International Airport has only one passenger terminal. While arrivals and departures are on a split-level roadway, all traffic arriving at the airport accessing the property through a single roadway.

“The Charlotte Department of Transportation [CDOT] is working with the airport to help move traffic safely and efficiently with signal timing adjustments throughout this holiday season,” a CDOT spokesperson previously told WCNC Charlotte. The city of Charlotte is the owner of the airport.

Travelers should arrive at the airport at least two hours before a scheduled domestic flight and three hours before a scheduled international flight, officials said. Security wait times and parking spot reservations can be accessed through the airport’s website.

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Contact Myles Harris at [email protected] and follow him on Facebook, X and Instagram.

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