Terminal Lobby Expansion to transform CLT passenger experience

The Terminal Lobby Expansion at Charlotte Douglas International Airport will begin in December and will transform the terminal’s entrance for visitors and passengers alike.

The $600 million project was approved Oct. 28 by the Charlotte City Council. CLT is a department of the city. As a city enterprise fund, the Airport is self-sustaining and does not collect tax dollars. Airport revenue pays for all capital and operating costs.

The Terminal Lobby Expansion is part of Destination CLT, a $2.5 to $3.1 billion capital investment program that includes concourse renovations and expansion of CLT’s roadways, curb front, airfield and terminal.

Over the past 20 years, CLT has experienced tremendous growth, increasing from 23 million passengers in 1998 to more than 46 million passengers in 2018. CLT is the sixth busiest airport nationwide and seventh worldwide Destination CLT is designed to meet continued growth and passenger demand of the Airport and the Charlotte region through 2035.

This project will add 175,000 square feet of new space. Lobby space will be expanded and renovated to create additional space for security lanes, ticketing and baggage claim, basement level offices and access to the subterranean walkways. It also includes the construction of a central energy plant that will provide mechanical space for the project.

Construction is funded through a combination of revenue from the Passenger Facility Charge (PFC), Customer Facility Charge (CFC), General Airport Revenue Bonds (GARBS), and Airport cash.

Work is expected to begin December and take about five years to complete.

See the architects' vision for the project.