CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A draft lease presented to the Charlotte City Council on Monday in Charlotte, N.C., would lock in a 10.5-year deal with the five biggest airlines at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and launch a $2.1 billion renovation program.
The lease would take effect Jan. 1 for American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and United and would generate an estimated $3 billion in rent payments over its life. The program, called CLT Beyond, includes a Concourse C expansion with a new passenger tunnel, renovations to the international arrivals area, airfield upgrades and planning for future international gate and terminal atrium expansions. Airport officials said it is four times greater than the capital program in the 2016 lease. The city has not yet determined how it will pay for it.
In exchange, the airport revenue share would drop from 60% to 55%, with the five airlines splitting the remaining 45%. Airport finance officials said the city gained a better rent rate and minimum financial protections in the event of a disruption such as a pandemic. Charlotte Douglas is American Airlines’ second-largest hub.
The draft did not address worker rights, a sore point for contracted airport workers and several council members. City staff said state law bars the city from regulating wages or benefits, and the mayor referred worker conditions to a council committee.
Council members narrowly backed a motion for a six-week public review period in a 6-5 vote, but Mayor Harrington vetoed it, saying the timeline lacked clarity and promising to set a public process soon. Rob Harrington is the 60th Mayor of Charlotte, appointed by City Council on June 22, 2026. Monday’s meeting was only a discussion, and no vote date has been set.
