Charlotte, American Airlines extend airport lease by a year

CHARLOTTE DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

American Airlines and the city of Charlotte have agreed to extend their current lease by as much as a year while the sides hammer out a new long-term agreement. The current deal expires June 20.

The city of Charlotte and American Airlines are giving each other a year to strike a long-term lease on Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

The two sides agreed to continue negotiating a 10-year deal between the city and American after the current contract expires on June 30. The airport and airline agreed to use terms and conditions of the existing pact and will have no impact on customers or operations at the world’s sixth-busiest airport.

“Both the airport and the airlines remain deeply committed to Charlotte and maintaining CLT's role as a critical driver of connectivity and economic growth for the region,” a statement from Charlotte Douglas reads.

“American has been committed to Charlotte for decades and supported $4 billion worth of infrastructure improvements at the airport in just the past decade,” an American spokesperson said in a statement. “We are proud of the vital role our hub plays in connecting the region to the world – driving more than $30 billion in economic activity annually across??the state and supporting more than 150,000 jobs. We continue to make meaningful progress toward a long-term lease agreement, and this extension will support continued discussions.”

According to American, the air carrier employs more than 16,500 people in Charlotte, with an annual payroll in excess of $2 billion.

Meanwhile, the local chapter of Service Employees International Union, which collaborates with airport contract workers, is calling on City Council to implement a 45-day public review period before approving a long-term lease. Workers, who plan a rally at Marshall Park ahead of the May 26 City Council meeting, contend American underpays service personnel amid staffing shortages and negligible benefits.

“We are glad to see the City of Charlotte and the airlines agree to extend the current lease-term agreement up to a year on a month-to-month basis to allow for continued negotiations,” said Chris Baumann, Southern Region director for SEIU Workers United. “We have been calling for a closer look at the terms since last year. Charlotte Douglas International Airport is one of Charlotte’s most important public assets, and a lease agreement of this magnitude will shape airport operations, passenger experience, safety, and workforce standards for the next decade.” 

A survey conducted by SEIU of subcontractors at Charlotte Douglas and published last month found respondents reporting chronic understaffing, high turnover rates and unsafe equipment – long-standing complaints among workers. The report was based on responses of cabin cleaners and wheelchair assistance workers at ABM and Prospect Airport Services, both American contractors. 

Among the results: 53% of subcontractors have been employed less than a year, 67% say they are pressured to work too quickly due to staffing gaps and 71% report going to work sick due to lack of paid time off.

“Additional time is an important step forward, but transparency and meaningful public input must follow,” Baumann said. “Charlotte residents have made clear they want stronger pay and working conditions for the frontline workers who keep CLT running every day. Many of these workers are still earning poverty wages without basic benefits, despite serving as the backbone of one of American Airlines’ most important and profitable hubs.

“We continue to call for a formal 45-day public review period once negotiations conclude so City Council and the public have an opportunity to fully review and weigh in on the final agreement before any long-term deal is approved."

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