How To Get Between Concourses at Charlotte Douglas International Airport [CLT]

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) is the ninth busiest U.S. airport, handling over 58 million passengers in 2024. As American Airlines’ second-largest hub after Dallas Fort Worth (DFW), the airline operates approximately 90% of flights at CLT.

Despite its high passenger volume, CLT remains a relatively compact airport. Travelers can easily navigate between concourses on foot, eliminating the need for trains or shuttles between departure areas.

Charlotte Douglas International Airport Layout

Charlotte Douglas International Airport has a single main terminal with 5 concourses: A, B, C, D, and E. The terminal is centrally located, with the concourses branching off in multiple directions. Several parking lots are inside the terminal access roads that loop in front of the terminal entrance.

Concourses A and E run parallel to the parking garages, but all passengers must pass through the central terminal to access these secure areas.

Hot Tip:

For information on facilities, ground transportation, hotels, and more, check out our guide to Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Post-Security (Airside) Ground Transportation at CLT

Since CLT has only 1 terminal, no transportation outside the secure area is needed, except for travel to and from the airport’s long-term parking lots.

Walking

Walking is the only way to move between concourses within the secure area. All concourses are connected, with specific security checkpoints providing the quickest access. Security checkpoint A and checkpoint 1 are closest to concourses A, B, and C, while security checkpoint 3 is closest to concourses D and E.

Estimated Walking Times

• Security checkpoint 1 to Concourse A:
  • Gates A1 to A13: 3 to 5 minutes
  • Gates A21 to A29: 6 to 8 minutes
  • Gates A30 to A39: 11 to 13 minutes
• Security checkpoint 1 to Concourse B gates: 1 to 5 minutes
• Security checkpoint 1 to Concourse C gates: 5 to 9 minutes
• Security checkpoint 3 to Concourse D gates: 2 to 4 minutes
• Security checkpoint 3 to Concourse E
  • Gates E1 to E9: 3 to 5 minutes
  • Gates E11 to E19: 6 to 8 minutes
  • Gates E20 to E43: 6 to 9 minutes
• Concourse A to Concourse E: 11 to 30 minutes

Central Terminal

Charlotte Douglas International Airport has a single central terminal in the middle of the 5 departure and arrival concourses. All passengers, whether departing or arriving at CLT, pass through the terminal. Once they’ve cleared the security checkpoint, passengers can walk freely between all concourses.

Transportation at CLT is only required to reach some of the long-term parking lots, with courtesy shuttle buses available from outside the terminal.

Level 1 Baggage Claim

Baggage claim is on level 1. Passengers can be picked up from outside the terminal at the curb. The rental car counters are across the roadway on the lower level of the hourly parking garage, accessible via the pedestrian crossings on this level or the underground walkways.

Level 2 Check-in

Check-in for all airlines is on level 2, with curbside drop-off permitted outside the terminal. After checking in, passengers can pass through one of the 3 security checkpoints on this level.

Level 3 Bridge

There’s a USO Lounge on level 3 and pedestrian bridges that connect to the hourly parking garage.

Concourse A

Concourse A is on the west side of the terminal and is the second-largest of the 5 concourses, stretching more than a quarter of a mile.

There are 30 gates numbered A1 to A39 and split between 3 individual gate areas. Gates A1 to A12 are closest to the west security checkpoints. Gates A21 to A29 are in the next gate area, and gates A30 to A39 are at the far end of the concourse.

There’s a good selection of shops and restaurants in each gate area and a Delta Sky Club on the upper level near gate A32.

To reach gates A1 to A12, turn right as you come out of security checkpoint A (TSA PreCheck only) or security checkpoint 1. Follow the corridor with moving walkways, and gates A1 to A12 are straight ahead. To reach gates A21 to A29 and A30 to A39, turn right after the first set of moving walkways and continue down the long corridor.

Concourse B

Concourse B is straight ahead after the security checkpoints on the west side of the terminal, just beyond 1897 Market. There are 18 gates numbered B1 to B16, a small selection of shops and restaurants, and an Admirals Club near gate B3.

At fewer than 1,000 feet long, it is a shorter concourse, but there are no moving walkways to assist passengers with the journey. The airport doesn’t have any electric carts, but passengers with mobility issues may request a wheelchair from their airline.

Concourse C

Concourse C is southeast of the main terminal and has 17 gates, numbered C2 to C19. As with Concourse B, there are no moving walkways along the concourse, apart from one near the entrance. At about 885 feet long, it takes 3 to 5 minutes to walk the full length of the concourse.

There’s a good selection of shops and restaurants in Concourse C and an Admirals Club near the entrance.

Concourse D

Concourse D is the smallest concourse, with 13 gates numbered D1 to D13. Located on the east side of the terminal, security checkpoint 3 is closest to access. When you come out of security, take a right at Wicked Weed Brewing and follow it around to the gate area. There’s an American Express Centurion Lounge just after the security checkpoint.

Concourse E

Concourse E is on the east side of the terminal and is the largest of the 5 concourses, extending over 650 yards at its furthest points. There are 45 gates across the 3 areas of the concourse. Gates E1 to E9 are in the first section, and all passengers departing from a higher gate number will walk through this section to reach their gate.

These first gates lead through to a central area for access to the 2 other gate areas. Gates E10 to E13, E14A, E14B, E15, E16, E16A, E16B, E17 to E19 are to the right, and E20 to E32 and E36 to E45 are to the left. Moving walkways are available along some sections of Concourse E.

Security checkpoint 3 is closest to Concourse E. Once inside the secure area, turn left and take the escalator or elevator down to level 1 to follow the moving walkways.

Flight Connections at CLT

Connecting at CLT is a pretty seamless process due to its efficient layout and compact size. For domestic-to-domestic and domestic-to-international connections, passengers can stay within the secure area, provided they have only carry-on luggage or their checked bags are tagged to their final destination.

International arrivals must collect their checked luggage and clear immigration and customs before proceeding. After customs, passengers can recheck their bags at the American Airlines recheck counter before heading through security to their connecting concourse.

If traveling on separate tickets, passengers need to retrieve checked luggage, check in again at the main counters, and drop off baggage before reentering security.

Accessibility at CLT

All concourses at CLT are connected by walkways, eliminating the need for shuttles or trains. Many of these routes have moving walkways to help with the journey. All routes around the airport are wheelchair accessible, with ramps and elevators for level changes. Accessible parking is available in all lots, and the remote parking lot shuttles can accommodate wheelchairs.

There are no electric carts at CLT to transport passengers to their gates, but a wheelchair can be requested through your airline.

Final Thoughts

Approximately 70% of passengers at CLT are connecting to another flight, making it convenient that domestic arrivals and those from preapproved locations can stay within the secure area and walk to their next gate. Since 2017, CLT has been expanding and upgrading its facilities, with future plans to expand concourses B and C further.

These improvements aim to accommodate increasing passenger traffic, which grew by over 10% from 2023 to 2024, ensuring more efficient operations and a smoother travel experience.