CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 16: A statue of Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz sits in front of the air control tower at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport on January 16, 2009 in Charlotte, North Carolina. US Airways flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River in New York City on January 15, 2009 shortly after take-off from LaGuardia Airport on its way to Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
The 15-foot statue’s relocation is part of the airport’s Terminal Lobby Expansion project. It has been out of public view since 2020, and was reportedly undergoing a facelift. The Queen Charlotte statue is currently covered with plastic and will be unveiled October 20.
The sculpture previously stood as the centerpiece in the Queen’s Courtyard between the airport parking decks. According to artist Raymond Kaskey, her posture is meant to imply that she is leaning back against the wind (fitting for an airport). ”The crown in her hand is counter-balanced with the backward motion as a welcome sign to the pedestrian,” Kaskey said. The sculpture was dedicated in September 1990.
Queen Charlotte will reside on a pedestal in an area of the airport dubbed “the Queen’s Court.”
It almost seems inevitable these days that if you fly you’ll have to deal with some sort of delays. But what are the true odds of your flight being delayed when flying in a North Carolina airport? I’ve flown for three trips (or six total flights) so far in 2023 and on the return trip of two of those my flight was delayed. And not just once, but several times over the course of a few hours. And unfortunately both times I had already arrived at the airport, so I couldn’t even enjoy the extra time on my vacation. That part may very well be what irritated me the most. Especially when I could have been at Disney World. The someone ironic part of this story? Both delays were flying out of different Florida airports. My family has since banned me from flying to Florida. Not sure I’ll listen though!
North Carolina Airports
There are 10 airports in North Carolina that service commercial passengers. And ahead of National Aviation Day, August 19th, researchers at BetCarolina decided to calculate the odds of your flight getting delayed at each of those airports. And it’s not your imagination, those odds are increasing over time. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that the percentage of delayed flights in 2018 was 17.3%, and it now sits at 21.6% in 2023.
What are we considering a “delayed flight”? A flight that arrived or departed from the gate 15 minutes or more after the scheduled arrival or departure. And you may be surprised to learn that the odds of your flight being delayed is not the greatest at the largest North Carolina airport. No, I’ll spoil it now. Charlotte Douglas International Airport did not have the highest percentage of delays. Instead, a regional airport did. But CLT was close to the worst. Keep reading to see what your odds of your flight being delayed at each North Carolina airport are. And you’ll learn a little about the destinations each airport serves. Another interesting statistic- overall if you are flying from anywhere in NC you have a 22.5% chance that the flight will be late.