• % of on-time departures: 86.7%
• % of on-time arrivals: 86.2%

Charlotte, N.C. has grown into a major financial center over the past several decades, with its population nearly tripling since 1970 as companies like Bank of America and Wells Fargo expanded their operations.

Traffic at Charlotte-Douglas International has grown as well, with more than 41.2 million passengers flying through the airport last year, an all-time record, according to Airports Council International. Passenger traffic is up 79% over the past decade and Charlotte-Douglas is now the eighth busiest airport in the nation, the organization said.

Despite the boom, departures at the airport were on schedule more than 86% of the time in 2012. Planes came in on time as well, with 86.2% arriving at the gate within 15 minutes of schedule.

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