Raleigh–Durham International Airport
(RDU) faced operational difficulties on Sunday due to an equipment malfunction that affected various airport systems. Airport officials have verified that the issue is being investigated, and airport employees are manually handling clients while they seek to address it.

Systems are back online

In the late afternoon, the airport authorities reported that the system was back online:

“Systems are coming back online at RDU after an equipment malfunction affected some technology in the terminals, as well as parking facilities and the internal phone system. Airport staff are manually assisting passengers where systems remain down. Travelers are being processed through the airport and flights are operating with no current impact on arrivals and departures.”

Over 60 flights delayed

RDU Airport announced this afternoon that the airport is investigating this matter.

“The Airport Authority is currently investigating an equipment malfunction affecting some systems at RDU. Airport staff are manually assisting customers and investigating the issue. Travelers should check with their airline for flight status and plan ahead for potential delays.”

As of 5 pm local time, over 60 flights had been delayed. American Airlines, which has a large number of flights out of RDU, experienced the most delays of any carrier, with 19 delayed departures and arrivals, or 28%, according to real-time flight data from FlightAware. Southwest had 14 delayed flights, accounting for about 23%. No flights have yet been canceled.

RDU COPA Check in

Photo: Jonathan Hendry | Simple Flying

Congestion near the parking decks

The malfunction also created delays in the parking garages and affected parts of the terminal electronics. Travelers complained on social media that when the systems went down, the parking gates stayed closed, leaving people waiting in line for almost 40 minutes.

Passengers arriving at RDU told local news station WRAL News that several car accidents occurred while vehicles were waiting in line. They expressed frustration that no airport authority personnel were present to explain the situation or provide assistance. Employees in the parking lots are said to have manually recorded consumers’ credit card details due to system malfunctions.

Panning A 737-800 Off to Raleigh of Delta Air Lines

This Boeing 737-800 of Delta Air Lines is off to Raleigh. Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying

RDU airport authorities have not yet responded to Simple Flying’s inquiry. Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) is the second-largest airport in the US state of North Carolina, behind Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). Raleigh-Durham International welcomed 1.4 million passengers in August, setting a new record for the month.

In July, airlines across the country had to cancel over 4,000 flights during a worldwide technology outage, and more than 33,000 flights were delayed. The outage was prompted by a software upgrade by Crowdstrike, and affected businesses globally, including airlines, banking, health care, and media broadcasters.

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