RDU Top 10 News Items of 2016
The final days of 2016 are upon us! Time to take a look back at some of the top news items from the past year at Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
10: RDU and CBP Zip You Through Customs
With more international passengers arriving at RDU, the launch of Mobile Passport Control was a welcomed way to zip through Customs and Border Protection. With a few swipes on a smartphone app, you can process into the U.S. See the launch press conference from July.
- New Brews and Food Set To Arrive
This week, passengers are enjoying brews from both Starbucks® and The Blue Moon® Tap Room in Terminal 2. These temporary additions will pave the way for exciting new restaurants in 2017 announced in August, including Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Whisky River and Popeyes® Louisiana Kitchen and a long-term Starbucks store. Find out more.
- London and Paris Get Upgrades
Our brand-new nonstop flight to Paris is being upgraded in Summer 2017 to a B-767. And, our longstanding 
RDU to London Heathrow route will be served by a B-777. In both cases, you win with a more comfortable ride and more seats to two of the world’s leading cities.
- Frontier Adds Three New Routes
Stretching way back to January 7, 2016, Frontier Airlines announced three new nonstop routes from RDU to Atlanta, Orlando and Philadelphia. These new routes added great new options from RDU to three popular cities!
- New Orleans Around The Corner
Just before Thanksgiving, Allegiant Airlines announced that you can now grab your beads and head to Bourbon Street! The news of nonstop service to The Big Easy means nonstop service to one of the most in-demand destinations from RDU. Service begins on February 17, 2017.
- Finally Connected To Austin
For years, our customers have said they’d love nonstop service to Austin. On October 24, Delta announced that would indeed happen on March 9, 2017. Who’s ready to fly deep to the heart of Texas, ya’ll?
- ParkRDU Transforms Airport Parking
Developed after extensive customer research, ParkRDU allows you to choose the parking option that fits your needs. 
RDU also introduced Premier parking, which was so popular it filled to capacity within 72 hours of launch!
- Vision 2040 Is Our Flight Plan For The Future
RDU’s future has arrived. After an 18-month collaborative, engaging process with our community, the Airport Authority board approved the preferred alternative for the Vision 2040 Master Plan in October. In the coming years, we’ll be building new infrastructure and improving your experience as we work to connect you with the people and places that matter most.
- We’re Having A Record Year
By November, RDU surpassed 10 million passengers. This monumental feat puts us on course for a new all-time record passenger volume. And, our best year ever wouldn’t be possible without our beloved customers! We celebrated with a contest and look forward to seeing if we can top 11 million customers in one year.
- Oui Oui Paris!
On May 13, Delta Airlines launched nonstop service to Paris-Charles De Gaulle with a huge party on Concourse C in Terminal 2. More than a decade in the making, this new nonstop route not only connects RDU with the City of Light, but also provides easy one-stop connections to destinations throughout Europe, The Middle East and India.