Hey folks, We are on the go again and I'm actually catching up with you from the airport in Charlotte, North Carolina. After having a wonderful and festive 19th birthday for Cosette, I got 1.5 hours of sleep before rising to the occasion and getting my butt outta bed at 3AM so that we could leave the house by 4:15A and catch our morning flight out of LAX. Connecting through Charlotte. Speaking of which... It's time for me to go. I'll get back at you guys with more of a quality update tomorrow. Ciao 4 now, -Travelin' Tanya | Hey Folks!! Welcome to Thursday here on Travelin' Cousins. This week is shaping up to be an exciting one. First, we had Tanya's girl Cosette's 19th birthday yesterday, then Tanya took off for Orlando for her first stop on her Florida Travel Adventure trip, Walt Disney World; and then we've got some other birthday celebrating starting today... Did I happen to mention that tomorrow is my birthday? Yes it is! And while I am not as much of a birthday enthusiast as my dear cousin, I do have a few things planned to ring in the new birthday year. Tonight I'll be trying a new restaurant in Astoria, Queens which I will tell you all about tomorrow! I'll give you a hint - it's a Vegan restaurant that also caters to non-vegans. Since my Aunt Ro and I have birthdays that are only four days apart, we are going to have a little celebratory dinner tonight. As for tomorrow, I'll be spending the evening with my two best girls - Gianna and Kelsey - and we'll be ordering in Asian food and topping off the evening with a home-made vegan cake complements of my little baker, Gianna. I spoke with Tanya this morning just as she was boarding her flight to Orlando and she informed me that she had a layover in Charlotte, North Carolina for about an hour. So, I got to thinking - hmmm - why not chat a bit about Charlotte Douglas International Airport! Not only has this airport grown to an international airport since it opened in 1936 as Charlotte Municipal Airport, but, it is also a fortress hub for American Airlines which serves 148 destinations and operates over 700 daily flights out of Charlotte! Wow!! I'm hoping that Tanya will be able to snag a few key photos during her layover! As for me, I wanted to enlighten you with a bit more information about this North Carolina-based airport. (See below) Well, I'm off to take my eager 16-year old for her driving permit test!! - Travelin' Elisa xoxo |
Charlotte Douglas
International Airport
Originally opened as Charlotte Municipal Airport in 1936, Eastern Airlines began scheduled passenger service in 1937. The original passenger terminal still exists and is used for offices and training rooms by various aviation-related organizations.
2. Charlotte Municipal Airport is Taken Over by the US Army Air Forces in 1941
After the attack on Pearl Harbor, The United States Army Air Forces took control of the airport and established Charlotte Air Base in early 1941 through 1946, and renamed it Morris Field.
3. Renamed Douglas Municipal Airport
In 1954, a 70,000-square-foot passenger terminal opened and the airport was renamed Douglas Municipal Airport in honor of former Charlotte Mayor Ben Elbert Douglas, Sr., who had overseen the airport's opening 20 years earlier.
4. Lots of Expansions in the 1960's and 1970's
In 1969, a new enclosed concourse was built and airlines servicing the airport included Piedmont, Eastern, United and Delta. The new concourse had separate departure lounges, restrooms and an enlarged baggage claim area. In April 1975, the airport had 97 weekday departures to 32 destinations on seven airlines.
5. More Expansion with a New Runway and Increased Passenger Numbers
After airline deregulation, passenger numbers at the terminal nearly doubled between 1978 and 1980. Expansion soon followed with a new 10,000-foot parallel runway and control tower opened in 1979. The airport's master plan called for a new terminal across the runway from the existing site, with ground broken in 1979.
6. Another Name Change
In 1979, Piedmont Airlines chose Charlotte as the hub for its expanding network. A new 325,000-square-foot passenger terminal opened in 1982, and the airport was renamed Charlotte Douglas International Airport.
7. A New Main Terminal as US Air Becomes a Dominating Presence.
The year 1990 saw the addition of a new 80,000-square-foot international and commuter concourse (Concourse D) as well as further expansion of the central terminal building in 1991, mostly to accommodate the growing presence of USAir.
8. Commemorative Statue of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
A monumental bronze statue of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the namesake of the city, was added at in front of the Main Terminal following its completion. Created by Raymond Kaskey, it is located between the two daily parking decks and a long sidewalk between the decks leads from the shuttle stop to the statue, providing a grand approach to the statue.
9. $1.5 Billion "CLT 2015" Project Begins in 2007
Between 2007 and 2015, the airport completed $1.5 billion worth of construction projects, which would later become known as the "CLT 2015" plan. These projects included a new airport entrance roadway, new hourly parking decks with a centralized rental car facility, a regional intermodal cargo facility, an expansion of the east-side terminal lobby, new checked baggage handling systems, and additional space for concessions and shops.
10. Christian Moeller's "Loops" Artwork Prominently Displayed in The Plaza
The East Terminal Expansion in opened in November 2019, adding an additional 51,000 square feet. The main level of the expansion, called "The Plaza," is a food court which features prominently the artistic artwork of Christian Moeller entitled "Loops" made possible through a partnership between the airport and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arts and Science Council.
11. Proudly Serving 50.2 million Passengers
The airport announced that it had served 50.2 million passengers in 2019, a new record for the airport.