CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you’re flying in or out of Charlotte Douglas International Airport, you may want to get there a bit earlier.

There will be some door changes getting in and out of the building. Construction crews continue to work on a big expansion project.  

Airport leaders are spending more than $600 million to transform the airport’s entrance and lobby. Four new levels will be constructed as part of this expansion, including new ticket counters and baggage claim area.       

This project has been in the works since 2010, and is a reflection of the area’s growth.

“We were definitely over capacity from the lobby perspective. There were number of days when the lobby would be full of [people] literally shoulder to shoulder and even this summer we had some days like that despite COVID,” COO of the city's aviation department Jack Christine said.

Airport leaders hope to have the terminal lobby entrance completed by 2025. They say it's all part of a capital investment of nearly $3 billion to accommodate airport passenger growth.