Raleigh–Durham International Airport
Raleigh–Durham International Airport | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Summary | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Airport type | Public | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Owner/Operator | Raleigh–Durham Airport Authority | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Serves | The Research Triangle Metropolitan Region of North Carolina | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Location | Cedar Fork Township, Wake County, North Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Focus city for | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Elevation AMSL | 436 ft / 133 m | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Coordinates | 35°52′40″N 078°47′15″W / 35.87778°N 78.78750°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Website | www | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Maps | |||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() FAA airport diagram | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Runways | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Statistics (2021) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sources: RDU website[1] |
Raleigh–Durham International Airport (IATA: RDU, ICAO: KRDU, FAA LID: RDU), locally known by its IATA code RDU, is an international airport that serves Raleigh, Durham, and the surrounding Research Triangle region of North Carolina as its main airport. It is located in unincorporated Wake County, but is surrounded by the City of Raleigh to the North and East, and the towns of Cary and Morrisville to the South. The airport covers 5,000 acres (2,000 ha; 20 km2) and has three runways.[2][3]
In August 2022, RDU had passenger service to 48 domestic destinations and 6 international destinations with nearly 400 average daily departures.[4] The RDU Airport Authority is in charge of the airport facilities and operations and is controlled by a board of representatives from the counties of Wake and Durham and the cities of Raleigh and Durham.[5]
History
Founding
The region's first airport opened in 1929 as Raleigh's Municipal Airport, south of town at 35°44′06″N 78°39′22″W / 35.735°N 78.656°W. It was quickly outgrown, and in 1939 the North Carolina General Assembly chartered the Raleigh–Durham Aeronautical Authority to build and operate a larger airport between Raleigh and Durham. This was promoted by Eastern Air Lines, led by then chairman Eddie Rickenbacker, who wanted to make RDU a stop on the airline's New York–Miami route.
The new Raleigh–Durham Airport opened on May 1, 1943, with flights by Eastern Airlines. The passenger terminal was built from materials remaining after the construction of four barracks for the Army Air Forces Air Technical Service Command airfield.[6] The three runways the airport had in 1951 are still visible on the southeast side of the airport: 4500-ft runway 5, 4500-ft runway 18 and 4490-ft runway 14.
After World War II, Capital Airlines joined Eastern at RDU; Piedmont Airlines arrived in 1948. The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 36 departures a day: twenty Eastern, eight Capital and eight Piedmont. Nonstop flights did not reach beyond Washington, Atlanta, or the Appalachians (but Eastern started a Super Constellation nonstop to Newark in 1958). The next airline (aside from United's takeover of Capital in 1961) was Delta Air Lines in 1970. In April 1969, nonstops didn't reach beyond New York or Atlanta, and Chicago was the only nonstop west of the Appalachians. RDU's first scheduled jets were Eastern 727s in 1965.
In the 1970s, the last decade before airline deregulation, Piedmont connected RDU to Charlotte, Greensboro, New Bern, Norfolk, Richmond, Rocky Mount, Washington, Wilmington and Winston-Salem.[7] United flew to Asheville, Charlotte, Huntsville and Newark,[8] while Eastern flew to Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Richmond and Washington,[9] and Delta flew to Chicago and Greensboro.[10]
After deregulation, Allegheny Airlines arrived in 1979, and by 1985 Trans World Airlines, American Airlines, Ozark, People Express, New York Air and Pan Am had all put in appearances.
Hub years
American built a terminal at RDU between 1985 and 1987 to house a new hub, and flew to 38 cities when the hub started in June 1987.[11] The December 1987 timetable shows AA nonstops to 36 airports and American Eagle prop nonstops to 18 more. American later flew to London and Paris.[12] The RDU hub operated at a loss even during its heyday in the early 1990s, like the hub AA then had at Nashville.[13] American's December 1992 timetable, around the time of the hub's peak, showed 211 daily departures to 64 destinations, almost all in the eastern United States (the westernmost destinations being American's hubs at Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago–O'Hare).[14] The hub faced intense competition from Delta and Eastern in Atlanta and from USAir in Charlotte, as well as the short-lived Continental hub in Greensboro that opened in 1993.[15] American began to consider closing the hub in late 1993; operations were reduced until June 1995 when American closed the hub.[14][15]
American retained a daily nonstop flight to London, which continued to operate until the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed in 2022.[16][17][18] The RDU-London route was originally launched based on a purchasing commitment from GlaxoSmithKline, which has major offices at both ends of the route; however, the route is no longer dependent on GSK for revenue.[19]
Midway Airlines replaced AA as the airport's hub carrier from 1995 until 2003.[20] In 1995, Midway had flights to Boston, Hartford, Long Island, Newark, Newburgh, New York, Philadelphia and Washington in the Northeast, and to Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa and West Palm Beach in Florida.[21] American subleased its gates at RDU to Midway in order to repay $113 million in American-guaranteed bonds which had been used to construct the hub facilities.[22] Midway suspended service for some time after the September 11, 2001 attacks, and ceased operations in 2002, filing for bankruptcy in 2003.
Recent history
RDU's post-hub years have brought the addition of new carriers and destinations, notably discount carriers such as Allegiant Air, Southwest Airlines and Frontier Airlines. Because of the economic downturn and high fuel prices in 2008, American ended most point to point flights it operated out of the airport. Several mainline flights were also dropped and service to other cities was reduced or downgraded. Other airlines also cut flights and destinations including United Airlines and US Airways. Also in 2008, the airport was modernized; the current rebuilt Terminal 2 opened, on the site of the old Terminal C that was built in 1987. The rebuilt was completed in 2011, and was designed by Fentress Architects.[23][24]
By 2010, RDU's traffic began to recover. In the first few months of the year, passenger numbers stabilized at RDU, ending the decrease the airport experienced in 2008 and 2009. In the first four months of 2010, 2.7 million passengers traveled through RDU.[25] Growth was flat compared to the same period a year before, but these signs were positive indicating that the decline was over. Airlines at RDU began to add new services to the schedule with both legacy and low-cost carriers significantly increasing service since the early 2010s.
Delta Air Lines maintains a focus city operation at RDU, which it decided to maintain in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the area's strong economy and lack of a dominant network carrier.[26]
Future
The RDU Airport Authority released its Vision 2040 Master Plan in 2017 detailing the improvements which will be made by 2040. The major projects are the construction of a consolidated rental car facility, an on-site hotel, expansion of parking lots, expansion of both terminals to add gates, improvements to the taxiway layout, and the complete rebuilding of the runways. The proposal included lengthening runway 5R/23L to 9,000 feet and rebuilding runway 5L/23R to a length of 11,500 feet just northwest of its current position. The existing runway 5L/23R would become a taxiway for the new runway. Despite these plans, the FAA requested to shorten the length of runway 5L/23R to 10,000 feet because of the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry.[27][28] The FAA ultimately approved rebuilding runway 5L/23R at 10,639 feet, allowing airlines to carry more passengers and cargo, but not allowing the desired traffic to Asia.[29]
Facilities
Terminals
The airport contains two terminals with a total of 45 gates.[30] The two terminals do not have an airside connection; passengers moving between the terminals may ride a shuttle bus or take the moving walkway through the covered parking decks between the terminals. All non-pre–cleared international flights are processed in Terminal 2.[30]
Cargo
The airport incorporates two cargo areas, North Cargo and South Cargo.[31] The North Cargo terminal area is used by cargo airlines. The largest cargo operators are FedEx and UPS. The South Cargo terminal area is used by commercial airlines for cargo operations.
Airlines and destinations
Passenger
Notes
^a All flights between Raleigh/Durham and Nassau will operate with a stopover in Freeport.
Cargo
Airlines | Destinations | Refs |
---|---|---|
FedEx Express | Indianapolis, Memphis Seasonal: Atlanta,[51] Greensboro, Harrisburg, Newark, Roanoke, Tampa | |
FedEx Feeder | New Bern, Wilmington (NC) | |
Quest Diagnostics | Charter: Concord, Reading | [52][53] |
UPS Airlines | Baltimore, Buffalo, Edenton, Jacksonville (NC), Louisville, Manteo/Dare County, New Bern, Ontario, Philadelphia, Wilmington (NC) Seasonal: Charlotte, Columbia, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Miami, Norfolk, Orlando, San Antonio | [54] |
Statistics
Top domestic destinations
Rank | City | Passengers | Carriers |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Atlanta, Georgia | 603,000 | Delta, Frontier, Southwest |
2 | Charlotte, North Carolina | 405,000 | American |
3 | Orlando, Florida | 274,000 | Delta, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit |
4 | Miami, Florida | 266,000 | American, Delta, Frontier, Spirit |
5 | New York–LaGuardia, New York | 256,000 | American, Delta |
6 | New York-JFK, New York | 239,000 | American, Delta, JetBlue |
7 | Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas | 236,000 | American |
8 | Denver, Colorado | 227,000 | Frontier, Southwest, United |
9 | Newark, New Jersey | 215,000 | Delta, JetBlue, United |
10 | Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois | 211,000 | American, United |
Annual traffic
Rank | Airline | Passengers | Share |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Delta Air Lines | 2,463,000 | 23.77% |
2 | American Airlines | 2,097,000 | 20.24% |
3 | Southwest Airlines | 1,626,000 | 15.70% |
4 | Republic Airways | 962,000 | 9.28% |
5 | United Airlines | 766,000 | 7.39% |
6 | Other | 2,445,000 | 23.60% |
Accidents and incidents
- On January 2, 1953, a USAF Douglas C-47 crashed near RDU attempting to land with rain and low visibility after diverting from Pope AFB in Fayetteville. The aircraft crashed nearly two miles south of the airport in Crabtree Park. Three out of the four occupants died.[57]
- On Wednesday, November 12, 1975, Eastern Air Lines flight 576, a Boeing 727-225, crashed while attempting to land on runway 23 (now runway 23 Left). The aircraft hit the ground 282 feet short of the runway and bounced back into the air before coming down on the runway and sliding 4,150 feet down the runway, stopping where the south end of Terminal 1 is today. Of the 139 persons on the flight, eight were injured, one seriously. The NTSB investigation initially blamed the crash on "the pilot's failure to execute a missed approach when he lost sight of the runway environment in heavy rain below decision height." The accident report and probable cause were later revised to include the influence of undetected wind shear.[58] The aircraft (Boeing 727-225, N8838E) sustained major damage and was moved to an area on the north end of closed runway 18. A temporary structure was built around the aircraft which was eventually repaired and returned to service.
- On February 19, 1988, AVAir Flight 3378, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner was on a regularly scheduled flight between Raleigh and Richmond operating for American Eagle when it crashed into a reservoir about a mile from the airport in the vicinity of Cary. The aircraft had departed during low ceiling, low visibility and night conditions. Analysis of radar data indicated the aircraft was in a 45-degree descending turn. Both crew members and all 10 passengers were killed. It was revealed during the investigation that the pilot had complained of illness but decided to continue the flight.
- On December 13, 1994, American Eagle Flight 3379 operated by AMR's regional airline Flagship Airlines,[59] a Jetstream 31 was on a regularly scheduled service of Raleigh-Greensboro-Raleigh when it crashed into a wooded area about 4 miles (6.4 km) SW of the airport, in the vicinity of Morrisville. Of the 20 onboard (18 passengers and two crewmembers) 15 were killed while the five survivors received serious injuries. The probable cause of the crash was the pilot not following proper procedure when it came to an engine failure situation.[60]
- On July 31, 2000, a Win Win Aviation de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter crashed on approach nearly two miles SSW of RDU on a positioning flight due to fog and darkness. The pilot was not instrument rated to fly in bad weather. One crewmember out of the three occupants died.[61]
- On October 20, 2019, a Piper PA-32 crashed in a wooded area of Umstead State Park on approach to runway 32. Both occupants of the plane died.[62]
- On January 21, 2022, a Bombardier CRJ-900 operated by Endeavor Air on behalf of Delta Connection from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport slid off the taxiway while exiting runway 05L during a winter storm. 19 passengers and crew were on board and no injuries were reported.[63]
- On July 29, 2022, a CASA C-212 Aviocar from Raeford West Airport made an emergency landing and subsequently slid off runway 23L due to its lack of right landing gear. On approach, the 23-year old co-pilot, Charles Hew Crooks, exited the plane over Fuquay-Varina and subsequently died. The pilot was transported to the hospital with minor injuries as the result of a rough landing.[64][65]
See also
- List of airports in North Carolina
- List of the busiest airports in the United States
- North Carolina World War II Army Airfields
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency.
- ^ "RDU Served 8.8 Million Travelers in 2021, an 80% Increase over 2020". January 20, 2022.
- ^ FAA Airport Form 5010 for RDU PDF, effective August 11, 2022.
- ^ "RDU airport data at skyvector.com". skyvector.com. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
- ^ http://www.rdu.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Nov-2021-Activity-Report-with-CYTD.pdf[bare URL PDF]
- ^ Raleigh-Durham International Airport (January 19, 2017). "2016 Marks All-Time Passenger Record at Raleigh-Durham International Airport | Raleigh-Durham International Airport". Rdu.com. Archived from the original on October 19, 2017. Retrieved January 3, 2018.
- ^ Baskas, Harriet (October 11, 2004). "Stuck at the Airport: Raleigh–Durham – Haven for Bibliophiles at RDU". Expedia.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2002. Retrieved September 22, 2008.
- ^ "PI121578p22". Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ "UA061176p80". Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ "EA090672p52". Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ "DL102774p69". Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ Belden, Tom (August 4, 1987). "American Begins Service To New Hub". Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
- ^ "Daily Departures from the Raleigh/Durham Hub 1987-1995". Departed Flights. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
- ^ "Future of American's N. C. Hub Is Uncertain". Star-News. Wilmington, NC. November 18, 1991. pp. 2B. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
- ^ a b "AARDUhub". www.departedflights.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ a b Deak, Leslie (January 26, 1995). "American Airlines to eliminate RDU hub". Duke Chronicle. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
- ^ Trodden, Kathryn. "RDU-to-London flight upgraded in response to customer demand". News & Observer. Archived from the original on October 8, 2018. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
- ^ Ohnesorge, Lauren. "Why Raleigh-Durham International Airport needs a new GlaxoSmithKline". Triangle Business Journal. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved October 7, 2018.
When American Airlines (NYSE: AAL) decided to take a bet on a nonstop flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to London decades ago, it was because of one company: Glaxo – now called GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK).
- ^ Dolande, Rainer Nieves (June 5, 2022). "American Airlines resumes flights between Raleigh and London". Aviacionline.com. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ "Why Raleigh-Durham International Airport needs a new GlaxoSmithKline". Triangle Business Journal. April 17, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ "Raleigh–Durham, San Jose and Portland Airports: Colourful Pasts and Hope for the Future". Centre for Aviation. March 16, 2010. Archived from the original on August 14, 2011. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
- ^ "JI080195p2". Archived from the original on March 15, 2013. Retrieved August 28, 2012.
- ^ Fins, Antonio (March 16, 1997). "A Tale of 2 Cities ... And The Loss of an Airline Hub". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 9, 2013.
- ^ "Construction on New RDU Terminal Taking off". August 24, 2007.
- ^ "Raleigh-Durham International Airport's Terminal 2 Opens". October 27, 2008.
- ^ "Raleigh-Durham International Airport". Archived from the original on November 27, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
- ^ "Delta Trimming of Routes Portends Larger Industry Reconfiguration of Flights". Airline Weekly. March 3, 2021. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ "Map" (PDF). vision2040.rdu.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 29, 2017. Retrieved December 29, 2017.
- ^ Airport, Raleigh-Durham International (February 18, 2021). "RDU Passenger Traffic Down 70% from 2020". Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
- ^ Airport, Raleigh-Durham International (April 20, 2022). "FAA Authorizes 10,639-Foot Length for Future Runway". Raleigh-Durham International Airport. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
- ^ a b c d "Terminal Directory - Raleigh/Durham International Airport". Retrieved April 8, 2021.
- ^ "RDU Fixed-Base Operators and Cargo". Retrieved March 13, 2021.
- ^ "Flight Schedules".
- ^ Airlines, Alaska. "Flight Timetable". Alaska Airlines. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ "Allegiant Air". Archived from the original on February 24, 2011. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
- ^ a b "Flight schedules and notifications". Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ "American Airlines adds nonstop flight from Cincinnati to Raleigh-Durham". Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ^ "Destinations".
- ^ Ohnesorge, Lauren. "Grab your scuba gear! RDU scores flight to Caribbean vacation destination". www.bizjournals.com. Triangle Business Journal. Retrieved July 29, 2022.
- ^ "RDU announces new nonstop flights to the Bahamas". witn.com. Retrieved August 29, 2002.
- ^ a b "FLIGHT SCHEDULES". Archived from the original on June 21, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid038HMdzk6sGLRwbQ7kh96FJ76L5tLsVxdX4VSCZgG2X4qaqmPCWSAtBzNZRXANH1uTl&id=145265145503493
- ^ "Frontier". Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ "Our Flight Schedule 2022 | Icelandair".
- ^ "JetBlue Airlines Timetable". Archived from the original on July 13, 2013. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
- ^ "Southwest Airlines - Check Flight Schedules". Retrieved June 16, 2022.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ https://www.google.com/travel/flights/search?tfs=CBwQAhogagcIARIDUkRVEgoyMDIzLTAxLTA4cgcIARIDTVNZKABwAYIBCwj___________8BQAFIAZgBAg&hl=en&gl=us&client=safari&curr=USD
- ^ "Check Flight Schedules". Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ Ohnesorge, Lauren. "Spirit Airlines to debut at RDU with seven nonstop flights". Triangle Business Journal. BizJournals. Retrieved January 15, 2019.
- ^ https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2021/01/25/sun-country-airlines-announces-16-new-routes.html[bare URL]
- ^ a b "Timetable". Archived from the original on January 28, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
- ^ "FX754 (FDX754) FedEx Flight Tracking and History 20-Mar-2022 (KRDU-KATL)".
- ^ "LBQ825 Quest Diagnostics Flight Tracking and History 09-Jun-2021 (KRDG-KRDU)".
- ^ "LBQ825 Quest Diagnostics Flight Tracking and History 09-Jun-2021 (KRDU-KJQF)".
- ^ "United Parcel Service 2274 ✈ FlightAware". Flightaware.com. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ "RITA – BTS – Transtats". Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
- ^ "Raleigh/Durham, NC: Raleigh-Durham International (RDU)".
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Accident description for 43-15273 at the Aviation Safety Network
- ^ "NTSB Aircraft Accident Report" (PDF). National Transportation Safety Board.
- ^ Harro Ranter (December 13, 1994). "ASN Aircraft accident British Aerospace 3201 Jetstream 32 N918AE Raleigh–Durham Airport, NC (RDU)". Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2011.
- ^ American Eagle Flight 3379 NTSB Brief Report Archived January 20, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Accident description for N201RH at the Aviation Safety Network
- ^ Stradling, Richard. "Florida couple killed when their RDU-bound plane crashed in Umstead State Park". newsobserver.com. News Observer. Archived from the original on October 21, 2019. Retrieved October 21, 2019.
- ^ "Incident: Endeavor CRJ9 at Raleigh/Durham on Jan 21st 2022, runway excursion during turn off". avherald.com. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
- ^ Johnson, Kristen. "27-year-old man who 'exited' plane found dead in Fuquay-Varina after massive search". newsobserver.com. News & Observer. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ Burnside, Tina. "Federal officials are investigating the death of a co-pilot who exited a plane in mid-air in North Carolina". cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
External links
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Raleigh–Durham International Airport
- RDU Aircraft Noise Program
- RDU Parking
- "Raleigh–Durham International Airport – RDU" (PDF). at North Carolina DOT airport guide
- FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective August 8, 2024
- FAA Terminal Procedures for RDU, effective August 8, 2024
- Resources for this airport:
- AirNav airport information for KRDU
- ASN accident history for RDU
- FlightAware airport information and live flight tracker
- NOAA/NWS weather observations: current, past three days
- SkyVector aeronautical chart for KRDU
- FAA current RDU delay information
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- Pages with broken graphs
- All articles with bare URLs for citations
- Articles with bare URLs for citations from March 2022
- Articles with PDF format bare URLs for citations
- CS1 maint: url-status
- Articles with bare URLs for citations from November 2021
- Webarchive template wayback links
- Articles with short description
- Use mdy dates from May 2015
- AC with 0 elements
- Airports in North Carolina
- Transportation in Raleigh, North Carolina
- Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces Technical Service Command
- Buildings and structures in Wake County, North Carolina
- Airfields of the United States Army Air Forces in North Carolina
- Transportation in Wake County, North Carolina
- Transportation in Durham, North Carolina
- Airports established in 1943
- 1943 establishments in North Carolina