CHARLOTTE — The Federal Aviation Administration transitioned to a new traffic control tower at Charlotte Douglas International Airport Tuesday.
The FAA said they ended their ground stop Monday at the airport but traffic was slowed temporarily.
The airport initially started construction on the control tower back in 2016. The tower will be 370 feet tall, which is twice the size of the old tower.
The tower will provide more visibility and room for the operators. It will also be equipped with NextGen technology, and pilots will be able to receive text messages instead of having to rely on voice commands.
[ PREVIOUS COVERAGE: FAA breaks ground on new air traffic control tower at Charlotte Douglas ]
Passengers will also benefit from the new control tower. The tower and technology will provide more accurate timings, meaning fewer delays, and all of the changes will also save taxpayers $9 million a year.
Charlotte Douglas is the sixth-busiest airport in the country and leaders have said the changes to the airport will bring great changes to Charlotte.
(WATCH BELOW: Airlines double down on disruption warnings ahead of 5G rollout)
This browser does not support the video element.