A miserable summer for air travel

Construction, record numbers of passengers and delays are making flying from CLT more challenging

The following article appeared in the July 24, 2024, edition of The Charlotte Ledger, an e-newsletter with smart and original local news for Charlotte. We offer free and paid subscription plans. More info here.

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Charlotte skirted the worst of last week’s tech-related flight meltdowns. But fliers describe ‘a mess,’ and regular delays persist.

Travelers crush into Concourse C in June. Charlotte’s airport has said it expects a record number of fliers this summer.

by Tony Mecia

One of the most positive things you can say about air travel out of Charlotte this summer is … at least we’re not Atlanta.

While Delta Air Lines has canceled more than 6,000 flights since Friday and stranded passengers in its Atlanta hub and elsewhere, American Airlines, Charlotte’s dominant carrier, says it recovered quickly from Friday’s worldwide tech meltdown.

But for many people from Charlotte headed out on vacations, the airport this summer has been a less-than-joyous place. New data shows that there are still plenty of flight delays, with about half of the flights from Charlotte since Friday taking off late.

The delays are compounding what has been a frustrating summer for air travel from Charlotte, with full parking lots, construction workarounds, a surge of passengers and typical summer thunderstorms.