July 2, 2020

"CLT is Not an Empty Airport"
Summer Travel is Changing at CLT  

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is pleased to welcome travelers back to the Airport. We recognize your travel experience will be different.  It will be for those of us who are serving you too. Our staff has been busy working with our partners, building and executing plans to ensure a safe and healthy passenger experience for customers and employees when they are ready to fly again. 

“CLT is not an empty airport. We have seen steady increases in the number of passengers traveling through CLT every single day ... so people need to be prepared,” said Aviation Director/CEO Brent Cagle.

The Airport is committed to providing a safe and healthy Airport so that passengers have confidence to fly again. In the last several months, various safety measures have been implemented and procedures updated in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. A team from the City of Charlotte Aviation Department is working daily to assess safety measures and Airport needs, adapting to an ever-changing travel experience that helps reduce the spread of the coronavirus.

On our website you will find helpful tips and information on what you need to know before you travel. When you get here, we want you to have the confidence that the thousands of people who get you from curbside to plane side and on to your destination are here to help.

What You Can Do When Traveling 

By order of the North Carolina governor, Charlotte Douglas International Airport requires a face covering for employees, passengers and visitors. Airlines are also requiring masks for employees and for passengers to board a flight. Limited exceptions are allowed for medical conditions. 

According to the CDC, everyone wearing a face covering greatly reduces the risk of spreading the coronavirus, especially when social distancing is difficult. And, social distancing will be hard in some places of our busy Airport. Unlike restaurants and other private businesses that can limit the number of people allowed inside, CLT cannot do that. So, we must rely on our customers and partners to also do their part:

• Maintain social distancing wherever possible.
• Wear a face covering while in the Airport.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water 
• Don’t touch your face. 
• Use hand sanitizer when hand washing is not possible. Hand sanitizing stations are located throughout the terminal. Find exact locations on the Airport digital terminal maps. Plus, TSA is currently allowing one liquid hand sanitizer up to 12 ounces per passenger in carry-on bags. It will have to be screened separately, so add some time to the checkpoint experience.

As Airport dining and retail stores begin to reopen, passengers will find that CLT concessionaires also recommend or require social distancing and face coverings in their businesses. To see what's open visit the Shop, Dine & Relax link our website. 

Travel Tips: Passengers Can Expect Changes

It is essential that if you are flying amid the COVID-19 pandemic, that you know things are different now. There are steps you can take to ensure your travels are safe and enjoyable. 

Before you arrive, download your boarding pass on your phone and check the real-time parking map for updates on parking. You can check via cltairport.com or use the CLT mobile app, which you can download for free in the Apple Store or Google Play. 

Expect lines, arrive early. Sure, you have heard that Airport is not as busy as usual. Most people traveling during the pandemic are flying on the same or similarly timed flights. It is essential that you arrive early. Checkpoint wait times and open checkpoints will vary due to the challenges of social distancing in the Airport. Arrive at least two hours before domestic travel and three hours before flights with an international itinerary. 

New TSA rules.  TSA has several new rules now too. You can expect to see TSA officers wearing face coverings, gloves and protective eye wear more often. If you forgot your mandatory face covering, you can get one for free at the checkpoint podiums and the Visitors Information Center on Baggage Claim lower level. 

Hang onto boarding passes. TSA now asks passengers to keep possession of their boarding passes. If you have not gone paperless yet, consider it. Now, instead of handing your boarding pass to a TSA officer at the travel document podium, travelers should place their boarding pass (paper or electronic) on the boarding pass reader. After scanning, travelers should hold their boarding pass up and facing the TSA officer to allow the officer to see it.

Pack smart. Passengers should take extra care to ensure that they do not have any prohibited items, such as liquids, gels or aerosols in quantities greater than 3.4 ounces, in their carry-on bags (water bottles, shampoo). Any prohibited item can slow down the screening process for you and your fellow travelers. 

Hand sanitizer allowed. In response to COVID-19, TSA is allowing one liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces per passenger, in carry-on bags. Passengers are required to remove the hand sanitizer from the carry-on bag before being submitted for X-ray screening.

ID Changes. If your driver's license or state-issued ID expired on or after March 1, 2020, you may still use it as acceptable identification at the checkpoint. TSA will accept expired driver’s licenses or state-issued ID a year after expiration or 60 days after the duration of the pandemic emergency, whichever is longer. Read more about REAL ID below. 

REAL ID Deadline Moved to October 2021

The deadline to have federal identification for domestic air travel has been extended to Oct. 1, 2021.

The Department of Homeland Security announced the new deadline as part of the CARES Act legislation that provides aid to airports in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. 

A REAL ID-compliant driver license is just like a traditional license or ID except it has a star at the top. Driver licenses and IDs without a gold star are noted "Not for Federal Identification."

While REAL ID may be optional for driving in North Carolina and South Carolina, anyone planning to fly within the United States on or after Oct. 1, 2021 will need a federal ID like REAL ID or other commonly used options, such as valid military ID or passport.

North Carolina residents can find more information on the N.C. Department of Transportation website.

South Carolina residents can find information of the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles website.