Passenger Airports That Share Facilities With Active Military Squadrons

Passenger airports that share facilities with active military squadrons illustrate how commercial and defense operations coexist on the same field. The FAA recognizes 21 joint-use airports where the military owns the airfield and civilian airlines operate under agreement, and about 65 shared-use airports where civilian authorities own the field while military units remain as tenants. These arrangements often keep the same runway system but separate ramps, terminals, and ground infrastructure for safety and traffic management. The article highlights CLT, where Charlotte Douglas International Airport serves as a major hub for American Airlines and handles over 50 million passengers annually. It also hosts the North Carolina Air National Guard’s 145th Airlift Wing, operating eight C-17 Globemaster III aircraft on the same airport complex used by American and other carriers. The unit began flying the C-17 in 2018 after more than four decades with the C-130, involving over 30 construction projects and more than $1 billion in infrastructure investment. In September 2025, it completed its first C-17 combat deployment, with 164 airmen returning from a 90-day Middle East rotation.