American Airlines will start booking flights at full capacity again on July 1

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - More people are making their way through Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

It comes at a time when American Airlines will soon be booking flights at full capacity starting July 1.

Airport workers say summer travel is going to be different this year because of COVID-19.

Plans are being made on how the airport is going to handle the increase of passengers.

Airport officials will discuss their plan for more passengers on Tuesday.

Back in May, due to COVID-19, the company cut its flight capacity by 80 percent so passengers could still practice social distancing.

“That’s great. That will help me a lot,” said Raymond Castaldi.

Castaldi is an Uber driver who finds all his rides at Charlotte Douglas.

The nearly empty rideshare parking lot next to the airport is truly a sign of the times.

Before airlines started limiting the number of people on flights, Castaldi could easily book 15 rides in a couple of hours, now he struggles to get any.

“Now that we are going through the Coronavirus, I have like 3 or 4 rides,” he said.

American Airlines’ decision to change booking back to normal could easily help Castaldi who works to support his two teenage kids.

“You know the regular teenager stuff, they need everything,” Castaldi said.

Going back to what we know as normal doesn’t scare Castaldi one bit.

He said he keeps hand sanitizer in his car, he always wears a mask, and because he’s originally from New York, he believes he can survive anything – COVID-19 included.

“If it happens, it happens. That’s the way. I will always figure it out,” said Castaldi.

When it comes to American Airlines specifically, the company says they are committed to being clean. Masks are mandatory on flights, different food and drink services have stopped inside planes to limit contact, and some passengers tell WBTV, they believe American Airlines planes do seem a lot cleaner.

United and Spirit airlines are other airlines that are already scheduling full flights.

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