Charlotte Douglas International Airport has a new long-term agreement with its major airline partners, and the deal is designed to shape the airport’s next decade of growth.

Charlotte City Council approved a 10½-year Airline Use and Lease Agreement with American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and United.

The agreement takes effect January 1, 2027 and runs through June 30, 2037.

Why this matters to travelers

The agreement is not a new passenger fee or a change to how you book a flight.

Instead, it sets the financial and operating framework that CLT and its airline partners will use for airport property, gates, maintenance and future capital projects.

The biggest traveler-facing piece is a planned $2.1 billion capital development program called CLT Beyond.

That program includes nearly a dozen projects across the terminal, airfield and broader airport campus.

More gates and a larger Concourse C are part of the plan

CLT says the capital program includes a Concourse C expansion with additional gates and other terminal improvements intended to support future passenger demand.

The new agreement also increases the number of City-managed gates from 10 to 17.

That gives the airport more flexibility in how gates are assigned and used across carriers.

The airlines are committing billions over the term

CLT estimates that signatory airlines will pay about $3 billion in rents, fees and charges over the base term of the agreement.

The capital program is expected to use a mix of airport revenue bonds, passenger facility charges and federal grants.

CLT remains a major economic engine

Airport officials say CLT generates about $40 billion in annual economic impact and supports more than 184,000 jobs.

For travelers, the practical takeaway is that the airport is locking in a long-term framework for expansion at a time when Charlotte continues to grow as both a destination and a connecting hub.

The changes will not happen overnight, but the agreement gives CLT and its airline partners the structure to move major projects forward through the 2030s.

Read CLT Airport’s official announcement.