Here is a layout of Charlotte Douglas International Airport. Please read further down about the upcoming runway naming change that will happen in 2026.

CLT currently has three active Runways:

18L / 36C is the Eastern most runway. This is typically used for Arrivals and Departures to the East, like Boston, New York, Washington as well as most European flights. Some Charter flights (NFL, Freight, others) may also arrive here due to its proximity to the cargo areas.

18C / 36C is the Center runway and is used mostly for departures to the West. There are only a few flights that arrive here

18R / 36L is the Western most runway and is only used for arrivals from the West.

23/5 is currently no longer in use and is being decommissioned

2026 Runway Renumbering

While the above is still true as of January 2026, the Airport has announced a runway renumbering that to prepare for the fourth parallel runway. This will happen between May 2026 and September 2026 and rename the runways as follows:

• Runway 18R-36L becomes 1L-19R
• Fourth Parallel 1C-19C
• Runway 18C-36C becomes 1R-19L
• Runway 18L-36R becomes 18-36