In 2019, Raleigh-Durham International Airport handled 14.2 million passengers. In 2023, the number of passengers increased to 14.5 million, but in the intervening years, it handled 4.9 million in 2020, 8.8 million in 2021 and 11.8 million in 2022. Sixteen airlines operate more than 350 flights daily, and in August, 1.4 million travelers passed through the airport, a new record for August.

More flights, restaurants and technology at RDU

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is the second-largest airport in the US state of North Carolina, behind Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Between July 2023 and June 2024, its Top 10 domestic destinations were Atlanta, Georgia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Dever, Colorado; New York LaGuardia and New York JFK; Boston; Massachusetts and Orlando and Miami in Florida.

Delta Connection Bombardier CRJ900 with United Airlines aircraft in the distance at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Photo: Raleigh–Durham International Airport

In August, Raleigh-Durham International captured the final month of summer demand with a record August high of 1.4 million passengers using the airport. RDU president and CEO Michael Landguth thanked the more than four million passengers who chose to make Raleigh-Durham part of their travel plans this summer. He added:

“We are elevating their experience by adding more airlines and nonstop destinations than ever before, introducing new technology and reimagining their dining options with the recent opening of two new restaurants.”

What’s new at Raleigh-Durham International?

No one airline dominates the Raleigh-Durham landscape, and the two largest carriers, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, each have around a 20% market share. Between June 2023 and July 2024, they handled 3 million and 2.9 million, respectively, followed by Southwest Airlines (2.2 million), United Airlines (1.5 million) and Frontier Airlines (1.2 million).

American Airlines Boeing 777-200ER taking off from Raleigh-Durham International Airport.

Photo: Raleigh–Durham International Airport

Growing air services with Air Canada

International traffic continues to grow at RDU, with Air Canada doubling the frequency of its nonstop service to Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport (YUL). From May 2025, Air Canada will expand the service from seven times a week to 14 weekly flights. The airport now serves a record number of cities outside the US, adding nonstop flights to Frankfurt, Germany; Panama City, Panama; and Mexico City, Mexico, this year.

Even more new restaurants in Terminal 2

The airport is working hard to reimagine the dining experience in both terminals and recently added two new restaurants in Terminal 2, Crawford’s Genuine and Carolina Craft. Crawford’s Genuine is located near Gate C1 and offers American cuisine with a North Carolina flair. Five-time James Beard-nominated chef Scott Crawford curates each dish, which includes local flavors and fresh regional ingredients.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Photo: Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Carolina Craft has an open-air bar that features unique local breweries and distillers from its spot near Gate C12. Diners can celebrate North Carolina by enjoying local craft beer or cocktails and building their own charcuterie boards. RDU is adding another ten new restaurants that will open in both terminals next year.

Biometric Technolgy at international gates

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) aims to improve passengers’ screening experience with touch-free technology. Biometric exit kiosks are in place at ten international gates in Terminal 2, part of a CBP initiative to use facial recognition technology to verify the identities of outbound international passengers.

Passengers who do not want to use the biometric technology can request to opt-out and be vetted manually by an agent at the gate. Participating airlines include Air Canada, Air France, Icelandair, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Aeromexico and Copa. The kiosks are not being used for domestic flights.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *