Charlotte Douglas Targets Three FAA Collision Hot Spots for Removal by 2028

Charlotte Douglas International Airport will wipe out all three Federal Aviation Administration collision hot spots by 2028. A series of construction projects will make this happen. Hot spots are places where planes have crashed before or might crash in the future, according to the FAA.

According to WCNC, the first hot spot is a five-way intersection. Multiple taxiways meet there. Pilots get confused. Even the experienced ones can misread the signs or pause too long at this intersection, the FAA's report states. Construction of the Fourth Parallel Runway will remove this problem area. That project opens in 2027.

The second hot spot causes pilots to turn the wrong way. They wind up back on an active runway. Aircraft taking off or landing could hit them. The air carrier ramp expansion will fix this. Work starts in 2027.

The third hot spot has signs in the wrong places and tight spacing between taxiways. Planes squeeze past each other with inches to spare. Officials will remove this spot in 2028 when crews rehabilitate runway 18L/36R and move taxiway C10 to a new location.

Data from the Aviation Safety Reporting System shows most safety problems at the airport come from crowded tarmacs, takeoffs, and landings. Planes and ground vehicles have had 16 near collisions since 2021. More than two dozen wake turbulence reports have been filed too.

Wake turbulence occurs when one plane flies into the wake of another. The plane loses control. It goes into a steep bank. Reports suggest planes need more space between them when taking off or landing. This would solve the problem.

A spokesperson said all three hot spots are scheduled for removal by 2028. The runway expansion and rehabilitation projects will take care of them. The FAA updated its list of hot spots at airports across the nation in November 2025.