Located in North Charleston, South Carolina, approximately 12 miles northwest of downtown Charleston, Charleston International Airport is the busiest airport in South Carolina. Operated by the Charleston County Aviation Authority in a joint-use agreement with Joint Base Charleston, this joint civil-military facility handled over 6.1 million passengers in 2023. The 2,060-acre complex is also home to Boeing's 787 Dreamliner assembly plant.
When you arrive, you will experience a single passenger terminal layout where departures and arrivals are located on the same floor. Passenger flights depart from two areas: Concourse A to the east and Concourse B to the west, both accessed through a central consolidated TSA security checkpoint. Breeze Airways operates a focus city here, while Delta Air Lines primarily serves passengers out of Concourse A.
01 Terminals & concourses
Features departures and arrivals on the same floor with a central consolidated TSA security checkpoint. It connects directly to Concourse A to the east and Concourse B to the west.
Airport map
The free OpenStreetMap layer below shows the whole airport — terminals, concourses, access roads and the parking garages. Zoom in for gate-level detail.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL, free). Official gate/terminal maps are copyrighted — we link to them.
02 Which terminal does my airline use?
Airlines are grouped by alliance and region. Always confirm the concourse printed on your boarding pass — assignments can change seasonally.
Show all airlines by terminal ›
Grouped by terminal — check the concourse on your boarding pass before you fly; assignments can change seasonally.
Lost, delayed or damaged baggage at CHS
If your checked bag doesn't turn up on the belt, act before you leave the baggage-claim area — that's where every airline keeps its Baggage Service Office.
- Go to your airline's Baggage Service Office in the baggage-claim hall of your arrival terminal.
- File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and get your file reference (WorldTracer) number. Keep your bag-tag receipt and boarding pass.
- Track it online using that reference on your airline's baggage-tracking page — most bags are located within 24–48 hours.
- Claim your essentials. On delayed bags airlines reimburse reasonable interim purchases (toiletries, clothing) — keep receipts. International trips are covered by the Montreal Convention.
- If it's truly lost (generally after 21 days) or damaged, file the claim at the same office — damage must be reported before you leave the airport.
Left something in the terminal (not a checked bag)? That's handled by the airport Lost & Found. Items left at a TSA security checkpoint are held by the TSA, not the airline.
03 Getting to & from CHS
These are the ground-transport options connecting the airport with the city. Fares and schedules change — check the operator before you travel.
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Bus | CARTA Route 11 connects the airport to downtown Charleston with a trip time of 50–55 minutes. |
| Road | Accessible via Interstate 26 and Interstate 526 using International Boulevard and Montague Avenue exits. |
| Rental Car | Rental cars are available in a dedicated pavilion adjacent to the terminal. |
| Parking | Offers a free cell phone parking lot, along with surface and garage parking for up to 30 days. |
