Charlotte Douglas International Airport leadership and Mayor Vi Lyles welcomed U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Wednesday, March 29, for a first-hand look at CLT’s enhanced operational safety and airfield investments.
The Charlotte stop was the first of four airport visits for the Secretary as part of President Joe Biden’s Investing in America tour.
The secretary toured the new 370-foot state-of-the-art air traffic control tower facility with Federal Aviation Administration officials, followed by visit to the airfield.
Buttigieg’s tour of the airfield offered a glimpse into Charlotte Douglas’s future. Aviation department leaders shared plans for a new parallel runway, associated taxiway system and end-around taxiways that will enhance capacity and operational safety.
These upgrades include a new 10,000-foot runway that will expand airfield throughput. Forecasts show the runway will add 20 additional operations during peak hours in 2028 and 32 in 2033.
The north end-around taxiway will improve operational safety by providing an unimpeded taxi route between the passenger terminal and the west airfield, reducing congestion on the terminal ramp.
The south crossfield taxiway will eliminate long tarmac delay times and the need for planes to cross an active runway to get to the gate.
As the Airport makes improvements to the airfield, CLT is making positive impacts which reduce the carbon footprint.
The addition of the end-around taxiways give aircraft the capability for continued movement, which reduces aircraft operating time, fuel burn and emissions. Ultimately, this will allow passengers to get to and from their destinations more quickly.
The new deicing pad, Taxiway F extension and south crossfield taxiway project will improve air quality due to improved aircraft circulation on the ramp and increased operating efficiency.
All these forward – thinking advancements are part of CLT’s focus on growth as Charlotte builds an Airport for the future.