CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Douglas International Airport announced Monday that it has served 43 million passengers in 2021.
According to the airport, that’s 86% of the record-breaking 50.2 million passengers who flew to, from and through CLT in 2019. It’s also up 59% from the 27 million passengers in 2020, the height of the pandemic.
“Our 2021 passenger numbers are pretty impressive considering the twists and turns we’ve experienced over the past two years,” CLT’s CEO Haley Gentry," said. “While COVID-19 impacts continue, CLT has bounced back quicker than many other airports nationwide thanks to the strength of the American Airlines hub, strong partnerships we have with all our airlines and tenants and the unwavering support of our passengers.”
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The airport said it remains focused on creating an experience that gives travelers the confidence to fly and implementing safety initiatives that deter the spread of COVID-19.
“There’s excitement about what lies ahead for CLT, especially as we reach Destination CLT milestones,” Gentry said. “This year alone the Airport is opening an expansion of Concourse E, the west end of the expanded terminal lobby, The Club CLT on Concourse A and new concessions throughout the terminal. Our plans also include installing several new art pieces and beginning construction on a 10-gate expansion of Concourse A. We’re looking forward to sharing these big moments with our passengers in 2022.”
WCNC Charlotte is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions reporting on and engaging the community around the problems and solutions as they relate to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.