CLT Ranks 7th Busiest Airport Worldwide
Passengers featured in the terminal walking to and from gates with luggage and backpacks

CLT ranks the seventh busiest airport worldwide for arrivals and departures and 10th in North America for passengers according to the Airports Council International (ACI) 2022 preliminary rankings. Globally, CLT’s passenger traffic ranks 19th. The final rankings will be made public later this summer or early fall.

“The rankings reflect the confidence and eagerness of passengers returning to the skies and the strength of the American Airlines hub,” said CLT’s CEO Haley Gentry. “2023 is on pace to be a 100% recovery from the pandemic, one year earlier than forecasted, as we begin our busiest summer ever.”

Charlotte Douglas handled 505,589 arrivals and departures last year and served nearly 48 million passengers, which is a 10% jump from 43 million passengers in 2021 and only 5% below the record-breaking 50 million passengers in 2019.

The Airport remains the second largest hub for American Airlines and is a top economic driver for the Tar Heel State. Earlier this year the North Carolina Department of Transportation released its biannual economic impact report showing CLT contributed $32 billion to the state’s economy in 2021. CLT also produced 5% of the state’s gross domestic product, created $1.82 billion in tax revenue, supported 151,575 jobs and generated $9.9 billion in personal income.

CLT continues preparing for future growth through Destination CLT, the Airport’s $3.1 billion capital investment in capacity enhancements.  Learn more on our website.