Charlotte Airport Open As Airlines Seek To Restart Flights

CHARLOTTE, NC — Charlotte-Douglas International Airport was open for business Saturday morning, as Tropical Storm Florence continued to creep west through the Carolinas Saturday morning.

The storm is expected to dump as much as 15 inches of rain or more in the Charlotte-metro region and “continues to produce catastrophic flooding over North Carolina and South Carolina,” a National Hurricane Center advisory said Saturday morning.

While the Charlotte airport is open, its terminals are a ghost town. In photos posted Friday night, ticketing counter lines were empty, as were departure gate lounges and the white rocking chairs along the concourse.

Air travel into the Carolinas has been all but shuttered in hard-hit regions along the coast as more than 2,500 flights were canceled since Sept. 12 due to the storm, with more expected through Monday USA Today reported Saturday.

“We continue to closely monitor weather conditions,” Charlotte Douglas International said in a statement Saturday morning. “Customers are asked to please check with their airline in regards to the status of their flights before coming to the airport.”

Further east in the state, Wilmington International reported minor damage to its facilities, which was shut down to commercial flights through Sunday at noon. “Staff is working to restore the terminal and airfield,” it said Saturday.

Delta said Friday it aimed to restart service Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville, N.C.; New Bern, N.C.; and Wilmington, pending an assessment of the airport infrastructure. Airports in Charleston, S.C. and Jacksonville, N.C. are expected to remain closed until Sunday, Delta said.

Travelers are advised to check with their airlines for updated information.