Two North Carolina Airports Get $68M for Big Safety and Growth Projects

Federal officials sent $68 million to North Carolina's main airports this week. Sen. Thom Tillis broke the news on Wednesday about the major boost for safety work and growth.

At Charlotte Douglas International, $45 million will add 414,000 square feet to the south area where planes stop for service. Meanwhile, Raleigh-Durham will use $23 million to shift a runway 523 feet, meeting new safety rules.

"Charlotte Douglas and Raleigh-Durham are two of North Carolina's busiest airports, and these upgrades will ensure compliance with safety standards while helping both airports remain efficient and equipped to handle North Carolina's growing travel demands," said Tillis to Queen City News.

The cash flows from the Airport Improvement Program, backed partly by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Tillis played a key role in pushing this law through Congress.

Both sites keep getting bigger. Charlotte Douglas ranked sixth worldwide in traffic as of 2024. Workers there push ahead with big changes, like expanding the main building.

Just months ago, Charlotte Douglas got another $290 million from Washington. That money will build a fourth runway next to the others. It's one more step in the push to fit more planes in the sky.

As more people move to North Carolina, these fixes will help both airports keep up. The work brings everything in line with what the FAA wants while making space for what's next.

When Tillis leaves his Senate job in 2026, he'll have left his mark. His push for the infrastructure bill made sure these airport fixes would happen after he's gone.