New air-traffic control tower at CLT to improve efficiency

CHARLOTTE — Here is how long it’s been since work began on the control tower that opened last week at Charlotte Douglas International Airport: Anthony Foxx, then secretary of transportation, presided at an event whose VIP attendees included Mayor Jennifer Roberts and Congressman Robert Pittenger.

All three had long ago left political life when the $112 million, federally funded tower opened at Charlotte Douglas, known as CLT.

The Federal Aviation Administration oversees air traffic control, including the towers. An FAA spokesperson told CBJ that, because of concerns over Covid-19, the agency is not yet allowing media tours of the new tower.

CLT representatives deferred comment on the tower to the FAA.

One person available to discuss the new tower is Michael Wanner, managing director of the CLT Hub Control Operations Center at American Airlines Group Inc. American operates its second-largest hub here, accounting for more than 90% of all traffic at CLT.

This week, Wanner, who came to Charlotte in July 2020 to lead the hub, told CBJ that the completion of the tower is part of a series of improvements that will help the airline and the airport operate more efficiently.

“It is an integral part,” Wanner said. “Anytime you’re looking to expand the potential growth here in Charlotte, that tower’s designed to match that growth.”

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WATCH BELOW: FAA transitions to new air traffic control tower at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

FAA transitions to new air traffic control tower at Charlotte Douglas International Airport

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