RDU Adds 39th Nonstop Route with Service to Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, FL

American Airlines Also Expands Service to Orlando and Nashville:

Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, FL (VPS) will become the 39th nonstop route at RDU when American Airlines launches service to the Florida Panhandle in June. American also announced new service from RDU to Orlando (MCO) and Nashville (BNA), giving RDU travelers more options when flying to those destinations. 

“We are excited to offer a new nonstop flight to Florida and expand service to the popular Orlando and Nashville destinations just in time for summer vacations,” said Michael Landguth, president & CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “American Airlines’ investment in RDU demonstrates the strength of the Research Triangle market and is further evidence that the airport is rebounding from the pandemic-driven downturn in passenger traffic.” 

American will offer seasonal Saturday service to Destin and Orlando from June 5 through Aug. 14. Service to Nashville will be Sunday through Friday year-round beginning June 2. These three new destinations follow American’s announcement last month that it will start daily nonstop service between Austin and RDU on July 2. 

“We are thrilled to strengthen our network in Raleigh-Durham as travelers begin to plan their summer vacations,” said Brian Znotins, American Airlines Vice President of Network Planning. “Whether they’re heading to Florida beaches, Nashville, or another destination we offer from RDU, we look forward to welcoming more local travelers to fly with us and further connecting them to our global network.” 

Traffic at RDU has started to recover from the global health pandemic’s unprecedented impact on the aviation industry. Easter week saw the highest volume of passengers since March 2020. TSA reported that across the country, more than six million people went through security over Easter weekend, a record for the pandemic.