CHARLOTTE, NC – Charlotte Douglas International Airport is preparing for the upcoming Fourth of July weekend, which is expected to draw a steady flow of travelers taking advantage of the Friday holiday. While passenger volumes are forecasted to be slightly lower than last year, CLT encourages travelers to plan ahead and use all available travel tools to help ensure a smooth and stress-free experience.
From Thursday, July 3 through Tuesday, July 8, CLT expects 925,000 passengers to travel through the Airport—a 2.5% decrease compared to the same period last year. The busiest travel days are projected to be Thursday, July 3; Sunday, July 6; and Monday, July 7. Nationwide, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is expecting to screen over 18.5 million passengers during the holiday.
Summer travel kicked off over Memorial Day weekend, spanning Thursday, May 22, through Tuesday, May 27. During that period, CLT saw 993,700 arriving and departing passengers—a 7% decrease compared to the same time last year. The busiest travel days at TSA checkpoints were Thursday, May 22, and Friday, May 23, with more than 40,000 people screened.
For the first five months of 2025, CLT’s total passenger count was 22.2 million, an 8.4% decrease from last year’s record-setting numbers.
To help passengers prepare, CLT offers the following travel tips:
- Passengers should reserve parking online in advance. Of the Airport’s 25,000 parking spots, 15,000 are available for online booking. The Royalty Program allows travelers to earn rewards with points earned by booking CLT Airport parking online at parkCLT.com or on the CLT Airport app.
- Consider alternate routes in case of traffic congestion. Use a navigation app to avoid trouble spots.
- Plan to reach your parking space thirty minutes before your desired arrival time at the terminal.
- Be inside the terminal at least two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight.
- REAL ID enforcement began May 7 – Visit tsa.gov for up-to-date guidance on prohibited items and screening procedures. All concourses and aircraft gates are accessible from any security checkpoint.
Updates with any significant traffic and passenger impacts will be posted in real-time to the Airport’s social media accounts (@cltairport).
