RDU Sets Passenger Traffic Record in May
Airport Welcomes New International Destination:
Memorial Day, Mother’s Day and college graduations gave passenger traffic a boost in May and kicked off the busiest season of the year at RDU. More than 1.4 million travelers flew through the airport last month, outpacing April 2024 by 10.5 percent and setting a new record for monthly traffic.
The surge in passenger traffic over Memorial Day was even higher than expected, at 9.7 percent above the same weekend in 2023. RDU also set a single-day record on Mon., May 13 during Mother’s Day and graduation weekend. Nearly 59,000 travelers passed through the terminals that day during what is typically one of the busiest weekends of the year.
“RDU continues to grow at a record-setting pace as we add new airlines and destinations around the world,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “We expect passenger traffic to increase as we expand international service, adding new gateways to Europe through Frankfurt, Latin America through Panama City and nonstop service to Mexico City.”
Lufthansa Launch: RDU welcomed its newest international airline partner in June when Lufthansa launched nonstop service to Frankfurt, Germany. Frankfurt joins London and Paris as RDU’s third gateway to Europe and gives travelers convenient access to Germany and beyond with streamlined connections to Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa. The Frankfurt service will operate five days a week on a 255-seat A330-300 aircraft. The new route is expected to have an economic impact of approximately $3.3 billion in North Carolina over the next 25 years.
Fastest-Growing Airport: RDU grew at a rate of 22 percent in 2023, making it the fastest-growing Top 50 airport in the country. The ranking is based on how many passengers boarded flights at large airports. San Francisco International Airport, Washington-Dulles International Airport and Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico ranked second through fourth on the list with growth rates of approximately 18 percent. Kansas City International Airport rounded out the top five with an increase of more than 17 percent.
Sustainability Report: The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority recently published its first Sustainability Program Annual Report. The Fiscal Year 2023/2024 report highlights efforts to integrate sustainable practices into planning, design, construction, operations, maintenance and business processes at RDU. The RDU Sustainability Program was officially initiated in the spring of 2023 following the adoption of a Sustainability Policy and Sustainability Management Plan. The Airport Authority is committed to continuous improvement as RDU grows to meet the needs of our community. To learn more about our sustainability efforts and see the full Sustainability Program Annual Report, visit www.rdu.com/sustainability.
New Dining Concept: Travelers have a new place to grab a cup of coffee and a bite to eat when they fly through RDU. Black & White Coffee Roasters opened last week post-security in Terminal 2. Black & White was founded in the Raleigh-Durham area and has expanded its expertly crafted coffee to cafes across the country. They also serve pastries from local bakery Union Special, house-made biscuits, and avocado toast. Black & White is the first of many new dining concepts slated to open in Terminals 1 and 2 in 2024 and 2025.