Charlotte / Douglas International (KCLT), North Carolina
Landing essentials
Whether you can land, whether you can refuel, and how customs works here.
Overview
Charlotte / Douglas International (KCLT) is a towered, Tier 1 airport in Charlotte, North Carolina, sitting roughly five nautical miles from the metro core. The field recorded 563,078 total annual operations in 2025 per FAA TFMSC data, including 31,026 business aviation operations, placing it among the busiest and most thoroughly documented terrains in the network. Three paved runways, onsite customs service, and an extensive set of ramp and taxiway movement restrictions reflect an airport built for high-volume mixed commercial and business traffic.
Runways
Charlotte / Douglas International has three paved runways. The longest, 01R/19L, is 10,000 ft long and 150 ft wide, with a concrete surface.
Runways are listed longest first.
Source: FAA Form 5010.
Fuel and airfield services
Charlotte / Douglas International has Jet A, 100LL and A++ available on the field. Fueling is available 24 hours a day, every day, and the airport has an operating control tower.
Source: FAA Form 5010 / NASR.
Customs
Charlotte / Douglas International has US Customs and Border Protection clearance available onsite, with general clearance for international arrivals. A USDA compliance agreement is in place.
Source: CBP list of ports of entry.
Business aviation traffic
Charlotte / Douglas International recorded 31,026 business aviation movements in 2025. Traffic peaks in May and October. Business aviation traffic at KCLT concentrates around May and October, with July and August representing the lowest months of the year according to FAA TFMSC data.
Business jet movements, FAA TFMSC count. Peak month May, 2,994 movements in 2025.
Source: FAA TFMSC, business jet movements, 2025.
Climate
Charlotte / Douglas International averages 18.0 days above 90°F in July, 16.6 freeze days in January and 0.5 snow days in January. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90.3°F, and January the coldest, at 52.3°F.
Weather station is on the field. Some values are estimated by the agency. 1991–2020 climate normals.
Source: NOAA NCEI.
Operating constraints
Charlotte / Douglas International has published operating constraints in six categories: access, runway notes, emergency arresting systems, environmental, pavement strength and other notes.
Successive or simultaneous departures from runway 18L and runway 19L are approved with course divergence beginning no further than 4 miles from the end of the runway.
Taxiway C from the approach of runway 18L to taxiway J, and taxiway M from the apron to runway 18L/36R, are restricted to 15 mph or less for aircraft with a wingspan of 171 feet or greater.
Runway surface condition information during duty hours is available by contacting ANG Ops or via the airborne frequency 292.25.
Runway status lights are in operation.
Group IV aircraft with a wingspan greater than 118 feet are prohibited from exiting runway 18L/36R at taxiway C10.
Taxiway C10 is unusable for taxiing onto runway 18L/36R.
All aircraft are prohibited from exiting runway 36R southeastbound at taxiway R.
Aircraft with a wingspan greater than 118 feet must use judgmental oversteering instead of cockpit-over-centerline steering when entering and exiting runway 18L/36R.
An Engineered Materials Arresting System (EMAS) bed, 255 feet long by 170 feet wide, is installed at the departure end of runway 36R.
Be alert for flocks of migratory birds on and in the vicinity of the airport.
PCR VALUE: 627/R/C/W/T
PCR VALUE: 1009/R/C/W/T
PCR VALUE: 1076/R/D/W/T
A++ fuel (military) is available, along with 100 and O-156 grades.
Military aircraft: contact the ANG command post 30 minutes prior to landing. Contact AMOPS/Command Post on frequency 292.25, call sign Newsreel.
On taxiways C4 and C6, when taxiing aircraft with a cockpit-to-main-gear distance greater than 90 feet, pilots must perform judgmental oversteering instead of cockpit-over-centerline steering.
The CLT ramp, a non-movement area, is a controlled ramp; contact ramp control prior to entering.
Group III aircraft with a wingspan greater than 79 feet are prohibited from making a northbound turn onto taxiway C when taxiing westbound on taxiway A.
Taxiway D is restricted to 15 mph or less for aircraft with a wingspan of 171 feet or greater.
Group III aircraft with a wingspan greater than 79 feet are prohibited from making a southbound turn onto taxiway C when taxiing northwestbound on taxiway R.
Group VI aircraft with a wingspan greater than 214 feet (65 meters) are prohibited on taxiway M between the terminal ramp and taxiway C, as well as on taxiway C north of taxiway M.
Terminal ramp orange taxi-lane from spot 1W to spot 27E has a maximum wingspan of 118 feet.
Terminal ramp blue taxi-lane from spot 1E to spot 27W has a maximum wingspan of 118 feet.
Terminal ramp orange taxi-lane from spot 29E to spot 34N has a maximum wingspan of 82 feet.
Terminal ramp blue taxi-lane at spot 28S, between the concourse D and E alley, has a maximum wingspan of 118 feet.
Terminal ramp blue taxi-lane from spot 26N to spot 27W has a maximum wingspan of 118 feet.
Terminal ramp orange taxi-lane at spot 28N, between the concourse D and E alley, has a maximum wingspan of 94 feet.
Group IV aircraft and larger, with a wingspan greater than 118 feet (36 meters), are prohibited on taxiway T.
Source: FAA Chart Supplement.
Nearby airfields
Charlotte / Douglas International has five airfields within 20 NM. The closest is Gastonia Municipal (KAKH), 9.76 NM west.
Part of the Charlotte area.
Source: Skystar calculation from official coordinates.
Skystar at KCLT
We arrange catering, fuel and trip support here. Supplier prices reach you unchanged; our coordination fee sits on its own line.
The same order, priced two ways.
$2,400.00 catering order at KCLT.
Unchanged.
What the kitchen invoices us is what your quote reads.
One line, fixed.
It does not move with the size of the order.
At cost.
Passed on at the exact amount the processor took.
Market practice figures are industry averages, not a specific competitor.
Frequently asked questions
What is the customs status at KCLT?
Charlotte / Douglas International provides onsite CBP inspection services, with a USDA compliance agreement also in place. Arriving international flights can clear customs and agricultural inspection directly at the airport rather than diverting to a nearby port of entry. This applies to both commercial and business aviation traffic operating through KCLT. Crews should coordinate arrival details with CBP in advance per standard notice requirements, since onsite presence does not remove the need for prior arrangement. No nearest alternate customs airport is listed because service is available directly at the field.
What fuel is available at KCLT?
Charlotte / Douglas International stocks 100LL and Jet A, along with A++ fuel. A remark in the airport record notes A++ as military grade, along with 100 and O-156 grades, though this fuel detail comes from a facility remark rather than the core fuel data field. Jet A availability supports the airport's high volume of business and airline turbine traffic. Dispatchers planning fuel stops at KCLT should confirm current grade availability with the servicing provider before arrival, since remark-level fuel notes can change independently of the main data record.
How long are the runways at KCLT?
Charlotte / Douglas International has three paved runways. Runway 01R/19L is the longest at 10,000 feet, with a width of 150 feet and a concrete surface. Runway 01L/19R measures 9,000 feet, also 150 feet wide and concrete. Runway 18L/36R is 8,676 feet long on an asphalt-concrete surface, also 150 feet wide, and includes a 255-foot EMAS bed at the departure end of 36R. These dimensions make KCLT suitable for the full range of large business and commercial aircraft.
Are there wingspan restrictions on taxiways at KCLT?
Yes, Charlotte / Douglas International enforces several wingspan-based taxiway restrictions. Group IV aircraft with a wingspan greater than 118 feet are prohibited from exiting runway 18L/36R at taxiway C10, and Group VI aircraft over 214 feet are barred from parts of taxiway M and taxiway C north of taxiway M. Taxiway T is closed to Group IV aircraft and larger with a wingspan greater than 118 feet. Various terminal ramp taxi-lanes also carry maximum wingspan limits ranging from 82 to 118 feet depending on the specific ramp segment. Dispatchers operating large-wingspan aircraft into KCLT should review these restrictions by taxiway before filing a ground routing.
Does KCLT see seasonal variation in business aviation traffic?
Yes, business aviation traffic at Charlotte / Douglas International shows month-to-month concentration rather than flat distribution across the year. October and May post the highest monthly business aviation operations, both exceeding 2,900 movements according to FAA TFMSC data, while July and August are the lowest months at just above 2,300 operations. This pattern means dispatchers scheduling flexible trips to KCLT may find more ramp and slot availability outside the spring and fall peaks. The airport's overall annual business aviation total for 2025 was 31,026 operations against 563,078 total annual operations.