Raleigh-Durham International Airport Engages Urban Land Institute for Comprehensive Land Use Planning Study

Airlines announce new seasonal air service

RDU Airport, NC – The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority board today voted to conduct a land use planning study through a services panel study model provided by the Urban Land Institute of Washington, D.C.

The panel, composed of ULI members and others with land development experience, will study responsible uses of airport land that is not designated for aeronautical use.

“In the environment in which we operate today, it is important for airports to look for new ways to generate revenue,” said RDU Airport Director Michael Landguth. “One of the greatest assets the airport owns is its property. The question we must ask ourselves is: How should RDU responsibly use its land that is not designated for aeronautical purposes in a manner that benefits the region, provides additional long-term revenue to the Airport Authority and complements the airport’s operation?”

To answer this question, ULI will develop an eight to 10 member panel of specialists, including a land economist, developer, urban land planner, transportation planner and mayor and/or planning official. Each panel member is from outside of the region.

During a five day session, panel members will interview representatives from the community, including local governments, private developers, community development corporations and other local organizations to address RDU’s land use issues and opportunities.

The study is part of the Airport Authority’s ongoing efforts to identify how it can best develop its land.

The panel is scheduled to begin in early March and will be completed in one week. An oral presentation, with recommendations, will be made that week. A written report is expected within 90 days of the panel’s conclusion.

ULI has conducted land use planning studies for St. Petersburg, FL; Detroit, MI; Shanya, China and more. View more panels.

The cost of the study is $125,000.

Airlines Announce New Seasonal Air Service
United Airlines recently announced that this spring it will add new seasonal service between RDU and San Francisco. The flight will begin on April 1 and end on August 18. The announcement comes on the heels of the airline’s announcement of additional service between RDU and SFO in the two weeks between Christmas and New Years.

Other new air service on the horizon includes Delta Air Lines non-stop service to Salt Lake City, which begins on Dec. 21. The airline will also begin seasonal service between RDU and Las Vegas in March; the service will run through October.

From May 18, 2014 to August 8, 2014, Vacation Express will offer once a week service to Cancun using Aeromexico aircraft.

Passenger Traffic Remains Flat in October
During October, 406,059 passengers departed RDU, down by just -0.1 percent from October 2013. For the year, the number of enplaned passengers has decreased by -0.7 percent.

The number of deplaned passengers, or those who arrived at RDU, increased slightly by .1 percent compared to last October with 407,232 passengers arriving at RDU.

The load factor, which refers to the number of seats filled, decreased by -2.3 percent to 80.4 percent compared to 82.7 percent last October.

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