4 Largest Airports in North Carolina

North Carolina has 10 passenger service airports, 4 of those being international airports. A passenger service airport is an airport that has service agents available to assist passengers with their needs. Not all public airports are passenger service airports. 

Because international airports see more traffic, they are usually larger than regional airports. This rings true with the Charlotte Douglas International Airport, which is the busiest airport in the state. It moves around 50 million passengers each year and it’s the largest airport in the state in terms of land area. 

#1 Charlotte Douglas International Airport, Charlotte

The Charlotte Douglas International Airport is the largest airport in North Carolina by land area. It’s 5,558 acres or approximately 8 ½ miles of bustling aeronautic activity. The airport is operated by the city of Charlotte’s aviation department.

It was established in 1935 under the name ‘Charlotte Municipal Airport’ but then renamed ‘Douglas Municipal Airport’ in 1954. It was renamed again in 1982 for the final time, at least so far, to its current name.

An average of 1,600 aircraft arrive and depart from Charlotte Douglas every day. If you’re thinking that’s a high number, you’d certainly be right. Charlotte Douglas sees so much traffic that in 2021 it was the 6th-busiest airport in the United States. That could be because it offers 178 nonstop destinations across the world. 

Another reason that Charlotte Douglas is so large in terms of land area is that it’s a civil-military airport. This means that not only is it used for civilian flight, it’s also used by the military. The United States Army Air Forces established Charlotte Air Base on the premises in 1941. The base was renamed ‘Morris Field’ a bit later.

Traveling From Charlotte Douglas

There are four runways and 115 gates at Charlotte Douglas. The gates are on five concourses, which are connected to the central terminal. The first concourse is Concourse A. It has 21 gates and serves American, Delta, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Spirit, and Air Canada. Concourse B has 16 gates and serves American. Concourse C has 18 gates and serves American. The next concourse, Concourse D, has 13 gates and serves American, Lufthansa, and Volaris. The last concourse, Concourse E, has 46 gates and serves American Eagle’s express flight operation as well as Contour. 

Something that undeniably sets Charlotte Douglas apart is its viewing area. The free overlook is just a fence and 250 feet of grass away from the nearest runway. It’s a perfect spot for families, couples, photographers, and anyone who wants an up-close look at the planes.

#2 Raleigh-Durham International Airport, Morrisville

Raleigh-Durham falls just behind Charlotte Douglas in terms of size. The airport stands on 5,000 acres, so there’s plenty of room for check-ins, maintenance, and runways. 

The airport first opened in 1929 as Raleigh’s Municipal Airport. As the area grew and the airport saw more passengers, a project was set in place to expand the airport and its area. In 1943, the new Raleigh-Durham Airport opened.

Since the 1940s, Raleigh-Durham has continued to see more traffic and serve millions of travelers. As of 2023, the airport offers nonstop flights to 64 destinations with 7 of those being international. Around 500 aircraft arrive and depart from Raleigh-Durham each day. The number one domestic route for this airport runs between Raleigh and Atlanta, Georgia.

The airport has two terminals and 45 gates. Terminal 1 has 9 gates and serves Avelo, Southwest, and Spirit. Terminal 2 has 36 gates and is used by Air Canada, Air France, Alaska, American, Bahamasair, Breeze, Icelandair, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Sun Country, Delta, Frontier, and United. 

#3 Piedmont Triad International Airport, Greensboro 

The Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro is a smaller airport, at 3,770 acres, but it stays pretty busy. It’s just west of Greensboro in unincorporated Guilford County. 

Piedmont Triad has a unique history. It all started with Maynard Field, a small airport that opened in 1919. It was purchased in 1927 by Greensboro and was selected to be one of the stopping points for the airmail route that ran from New York to New Orleans. When the property was dedicated that year it was just a field — with no lights, runways, or any buildings. It was originally called Lindley Field in honor of the original owners of the property. 

Construction happened quickly and the second official airmail route in the United States began operating at Friendship just one year later. As time went on the airport grew and more buildings popped up including a hotel as well as extra gates and runways. It was renamed to its current name in 1987. There was a proposal to rename the airport “Central North Carolina International Airport” that passed in 2017. However, there were many public objections that put the name change on an indefinite hold. 

Today, Piedmont Triad sees around 280 planes arrive and depart each day. It offers nonstop flights to 14 destinations. The airport has one main terminal and two concourses with 26 gates. It serves Allegiant, American, American Eagle, Delta, Silver, and United.

#4 Wilmington International Airport, Wilmington 

Wilmington International Airport is the unquestionably the smallest of North Carolina’s international airports. It’s just outside of Wilmington in an area called Wrightsboro. The airport is situated on a 1,800-acre campus. Compared to larger airports like Charlotte Douglas and Raleigh-Durhman, which see 50 and 14 million passengers per year, respectively, Wilmington International only sees around one million travelers annually. 

The airport was dedicated in 1928 as Bluethenthal Field in honor of Arthur Bluethenthal, who was formerly a football player and World War I pilot. It was renamed in the 1950s to the New Hanover County Airport and then the New Hanover County International Airport in 1988. In 1997, the name was finally changed for the last time to what it is currently. 

Wilmington International has two runways with one terminal and 8 gates. It operates only a few daily flights and serves American, Delta, and United. The airport offers nonstop flights to eight destinations. 

One thing that is unique about Wilmington is that it has a 24-hour U.S. Customs and Border Protection ramp. In such a small airport, you wouldn’t normally find a customs area. This makes Wilmington International a great choice for people entering the U.S. because it’s rarely busy compared to larger hubs. The top flight route from Wilmington International is to Charlotte. 

North Carolina has 10 airports that serve passengers, however only four of those airports support international travel. The four largest airports in North Carolina in order are Charlotte Douglas, Raleigh-Durham, Piedmont Triad, and Wilmington International. You can find a complete list of the ten largest airports in the state by land area below. 

The Largest Airports in North Carolina by Land Area