Speaking on the "R&D in the NC" podcast hosted by former council members Tariq Bokhari and Larken Egleston, Tillis said he would go to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the administration to create an independent airport authority if anyone "steps out of line and challenges or threatens the independence of that airport."

"I've already made it clear that I would go to the Department of Transportation, I would go to the administration, I'd go wherever I have to to get the DOT to do exactly what we can do now," Tillis said. He described the move as a "fail safe" he does not want to use but would if necessary.

"I have seen city councils destroy airports and have to recover from them," he added.

The council is expected to vote Monday, Nov. 9, on a new Airline Use and Lease Agreement (AULA) that would keep the airport's signatory airlines, including American Airlines, committed for the next decade and kick off a $2.1 billion capital development project known as CLT Beyond. CLT is owned by the city but is financially self-sustaining.

The agreement has drawn scrutiny over worker pay and conditions, which are not included in the lease. State law bars the city from intervening in subcontractor pay, but council members have raised questions about those concerns.

On the podcast, Bokhari defended the council's intentions, saying, "I think the point is, to be fair to them, they believe they are the champion of the little guy." Tillis responded sharply: "I don't care. You be a champion of the little guy off of that airport complex, because if you want to diminish our reputation and our competitive advantage away right now — there's a reason why we're a hub for American Airlines. We're the most profitable hub in their system and it's because Jerry Orr and subsequent airport administrators have stayed true to the mission of making the airport the best it can possibly be without government interference."

The airport's independence has been a long-running political battle. In 2013, state lawmakers passed legislation to create an airport authority independent of the City Council; Tillis was speaker of the state House at the time. After legal back-and-forth with the city, the authority was replaced by a commission, and the Federal Aviation Administration never approved the transfer of control.

Charlotte's airport was established in the 1930s largely with federal funding, primarily through the Works Progress Administration, which put people to work during the Great Depression. As CLT has grown, it has become instrumental to Charlotte's economic growth and a selling point for companies bringing headquarters to the region.

Tillis said he is prepared to "move heaven and earth to create an airport authority" if local government officials interfere. A spokesperson for Charlotte Douglas International Airport declined to comment on Tillis' statements. Tillis' office did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.

The vote comes as the airport's role as an economic engine and its treatment of workers are under increasing scrutiny, with community advocates arguing that the lease should include protections for the people who keep the hub running.