CLT Finds New Ways to Engage Community in this COVID-19 Environment

Measures in place to reduce the spread of COVID-19 may have complicated the task. But the teams responsible for connecting Charlotte Douglas International Airport with its customers, partners and neighbors are finding new and different ways to engage the community.

“We had to pause for a moment because we needed to understand where COVID 19 was going,” said Eugene Bradley, the Aviation Department’s community affairs manager. Since COVID-19 doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon, we’ve had to rethink how we engage people without actually physically being in the same space.“

Since mid-March, Aviation Department staff in administrative roles has been working from home, and they continue to work remotely as part of the city’s overall effort to help stop the virus’ spread.

Gov. Roy Cooper’s mandate to limit gatherings has led to the cancellation of several events. Both a charity golf tournament originally set for May and the annual Runway 5k, which typically draws more than 1,000 people to the airfield in October, have been cancelled for this year. The Aviation Academy, a six-month program that gives participants an inside look at CLT, has been pushed to spring 2021.

After a brief hiatus, the Airport Community Roundtable began meeting online and has since finalized a set of recommendations to disperse aircraft noise and submitted them to the FAA for consideration. The Airport Neighborhood Committee continues to keep up-to-speed on projects underway at CLT by meeting via WebEx.

“Our community is showing resiliency as far as learning how to navigate online in virtual meetings. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the number able to attend our meetings via computer or phone,” Bradley said. “People have realized we are going to be in this for a while, and they are learning to use the different platforms.”

The Aviation Department’s Workforce Development team is putting the final touches on a virtual job fair scheduled for Sept. 26. They are partnering with five Airport vendors to connect job seekers with open positions at more than 10 different retail shops and restaurants at CLT. Airport neighbors Renaissance West Community Initiative and Goodwill Industries of the South Piedmont also are assisting with the event.  

This fall, Workforce Development will launch a virtual Explorer’s Program for middle and high school students interested in learning more about the aviation industry. In a series of online gatherings, students will get an opportunity to hear aviation professionals talk about their jobs, answer questions, and explain what it takes to get started in the industry. To get an alert when signups begin, email Explorers@cltairport.com

The Community Engagement team is exploring a few possibilities for an event that would highlight the Airport and raise money for scholarships usually funded by proceeds from the Runway 5K.