This airport is both unique and incredible in many ways. For starters, it is up there with the most visited airports in the entire country, averaging more than fifty million visitors yearly prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Secondly, this airport is interesting in that it only contains one perfectly designed terminal, instead of multiple ones.
This means that the Charlotte domestic airport arrivals and departures are handled under the same roof as the international arrivals and departures.
And while this may seem confusing for some, this organization, in fact, simplifies matters greatly and allows all the gates and facilities to be within an accessible range from one another. There is no need for multiple inter-terminal transportation options, nor is there a need for wasting precious time commuting great distances between one destination to the other within the airport.
The airport’s sole terminal is also designed in a sophisticated way that organizes passengers neatly so as to avoid traffic of any kind.
The levels
As it stands, there are three main levels at the terminal. They are perfectly organized in order to ideally distribute the traffic of passengers and avoid congestion in specific areas.
The first level is dedicated to the arriving passengers. And as such, this floor conveniently not only includes access to baggage claim, but it also includes access to ground transportation. This floor additionally contains a tunnel that connects the terminal with the center where car rental agencies are located. This makes the trip a lot smoother for arriving passengers.
The second floor is, as is expected, dedicated to the departing passengers. These passengers will find that they have access to check-in counters on this floor, as well as access to their gates. It is important to mention that security checkpoints are also located at this level.
The third and final level is the mezzanine which is dedicated to a host of facilities. These facilities include lounges, a chapel, a nursing room, and more.
There are additional facilities that are also located on the other two levels, including a host of restaurants, cafes, stores, ATMs, other lounges, and more.
The Atrium
This is the designated name given to the area of the airport that is regarded as the center of the entire establishment.
It is conveniently situated on the second level and is home to a plethora of food options (from restaurants and cafes to bars and pubs), shops, and even accommodation facilities that offer private rooms and showers that can be rented by the hour.
It is renowned for its glass-enclosed, contemporary structure that provides a stunning view and brings in natural lighting into the building.
The gates and concourses
Even though this airport has one sole and main terminal, this structure is further distributed to multiple concourses that house all 115 gates of the airport.
These concourses, or zones/areas, are labeled as A through E, and their gate numbers start with the letter of their respective area.
The first area, labeled as A, is further divided into two main sides, the side that is located more proximally to the Atrium, or the central zone, and the northern side of the concourse. In total, this area has 21 gates. A1 till A13 are located in the main side, and A21 till A29 are located in the northern side.
The second area, labeled as B, houses a total of 16 gates. These gates are B1 to B16, and they almost exclusively cater to the domestic flights of American Airlines. Just like the first area, zone A, you can get to this one from the central zone as well.
The third area, labeled as C, has around 18 gates in total, and they are C2 till C19. Just like the previous areas, this one can also be accessed through the central zone. Additionally, it mainly operates the domestic flights of American Airlines.
The fourth area, labeled as D, is where the majority of the flights that are international are operated at. This area has 13 gates in total, and they are D1 till D13. You are able to reach this area from the first floor.
The fifth and final area is labeled as E, and it houses a whopping 46 gates, more than any other area. It is mainly accessed from its nearest concourse, area D, and it is also accessible from the first floor. This area has an interesting shape, and it is divided into the following bunches of gates that are located within a Y-shaped organization:
The central gates include E1 till E9, the right-sided gates include E10 till E19, and the left-sided gates include E20 till E36, and E38.
It is important to note that the checkpoints for security at the airport are located at the entrance of each area. This ultimately means that there are five main checkpoints that correspond to the five available areas.
To better understand the layout of the gates in each area, it is recommended that you check out the Charlotte Airport map gates here.
The airlines
The airline that runs the majority of the airport’s flights, American Airlines, considers this airport to be one of its hubs. Because of this, almost every airport zone is served by this airline’s flights. Zones B and C are the zones that solely serve aircrafts operated by this airline.
The rest of the zones serve a multitude of airlines that are both homegrown and international. In particular, zone D is the one that handles the majority of the international flights coming into and leaving the airport.
In total, there are over fifty different airlines operating at the airport at any time. These airlines travel to well over thirty different countries monthly, on 450+ routes.
Map of Charlotte Airport terminal
This discussion of the zones and the gates they contain could give the incorrect impression that the airport’s single terminal is very intricate and challenging to navigate. This couldn’t be further from the truth; the airport’s whole layout was planned with easy access to all levels, amenities, and gates in mind.
Check out the Charlotte Airport terminals map here to get a better sense of how everything is arranged. This incredibly comprehensive map tells you everything you need to know about the terminal and all of its amenities.
Click here for a better viewing of a map of CLT Airport terminals and the parking areas.