TSA Opens Brand-New Security Checkpoint at Charlotte Douglas International Airport
by Daniel McCarthy /Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), one of the ten busiest airports in the U.S., is getting new security lanes.
This week, the TSA unveiled a new security checkpoint in the airport’s passenger terminal, located at the west end of the new terminal lobby. The checkpoint brings eight new lanes for departing travelers, including six automatic lanes with automated conveyor belts.
The new checkpoint will give Charlotte passengers more options for getting through security, and will hopefully help alleviate some of the wait times at the airport, which reached as long as almost an hour last summer. With the eight new lanes, Charlotte will now have a total of 21 lanes at the airport, including a separate four-lane checkpoint for PreCheck members.
The addition is part of a $600 million expansion that began in 2019 and is expected to finish by the fall of 2025. Aside from the new checkpoint, the project includes boosting the current terminal lobby space by 175,000 sq. ft. and renovating another 191,000 sq. ft.
“The opening of Checkpoint 1 is a monumental achievement for the airport and will greatly enhance our ability to service the growing passenger traffic at CLT. The technology enhancements will provide for greater throughput in passenger screening, which allows for a more efficient checkpoint operation,” said CLT’s Chief Operating Officer Jerome Woodard.
“Passengers can look forward to an improved screening experience due to the open design of the checkpoint, which incorporates some of the industry’s best practices in checkpoint design.”