It was busy at Charlotte Douglas International Airport during the Thanksgiving holiday.
The busiest days were Thursday, Nov. 17 and Sunday, Nov. 27 with approximately 74,300 daily passengers. More than 812,000 passengers traveled to, from and through the Airport during the travel period of Nov.17-28.
The Christmas travel period begins Dec. 15, and the Airport is expecting large crowds through Monday, Jan. 2.
On peak days, CLT will welcome approximately 71,000 daily passengers. For comparison, on a normal day the Airport serves around 66,000 daily passengers. There will be extra staff in Departures/Ticketing and on the curbside to assist customers. Airport traffic will be the heaviest on Thursday, Dec. 22, Friday, Dec. 23 and Monday, Jan. 2.
Passengers should:
- Prepare for long lines at ticket counters and security checkpoints. Estimated TSA security wait times can be viewed on CLT’s website (cltairport.com) or app (download at the App Store or on Google Play).
- Plan ahead. Arrive at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before international travel.
- Sign up for TSA PreCheck® at tsa.gov/precheck.
- Visit the Airport app or parkCLT.com to book parking online for the best rates. Same-day booking is limited for all products and must be made a minimum of three hours in advance.
- Get dropped off at CLT or find alternative transportation to the terminal.
Parking will be in high demand Sunday, Dec. 18 through Monday, Jan. 2 for CLT’s more than 21,000 public parking spaces. Drive-up parking will be available. View the CLT real-time parking map or call 704.359.5555 for the latest parking conditions. Drivers who are picking up passengers should take advantage of CLT’s free Cell Phone Lot located on Josh Birmingham Parkway.