Airfield Improvements Scheduled To Begin

Runway 5/23 at Charlotte Douglas International Airport will be temporarily closed through November 19 for maintenance-related activities. During this time, the FAA will replace and update the runway’s navigational aids, and the Airport will resurface Taxiway ”C”, which intersects the runway. KCLT and the FAA are conducting this work to ensure continued safety of the airfield.

Runway 5/23 is the Airport’s preferred nighttime noise abatement runway. This change will increase air traffic between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. over communities that presently do not receive many overflights during those hours.
 
The temporary closure of Runway 5/23 also will require certain changes to the Airport’s daytime arrival and departure procedures during a south operation. Currently when the Airport is in a south operation, aircraft arrive on Runway 5/23 and depart on Runway 18L/36R. As a result, communities north of Runway 18L/36R experience relatively little air traffic.

With the temporary closure of Runway 5/23, the FAA will use Runway 18L/36R during the day for both arrivals and departures to accommodate operational demand. Communities north of this runway will experience a corresponding increase in aircraft overflights.

In addition to the temporary closure of Runway 5/23, two other airfield projects will take place during the 2 ½ month construction window:

• Runway 18L/36R will be closed each night to resurface Taxiway “C.”  This closure is for safety during the nighttime work hours.
• Runway 18C/36C will be shut down each night from 11 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. for crews to repaint pavement markings.

These additional temporary runway closures will cause nighttime flight operations to use Runway 18R/36L, which is a change from the Airport’s normal procedures. Communities north and south of this runway will experience a corresponding increase in aircraft operations during a timeframe in which they rarely receive overflights.

(Source: Charlotte Douglas International Airport news release)

FMI: www.ctlairport.com