Board approves contracts for significant airport enhancements
RDU Airport, NC – Raleigh-Durham International Airport marked 51 consecutive months of growth and a new all-time record as 586,622 people boarded airplanes during the month, the highest monthly total in our history. The record was announced during today’s regular monthly meeting of the Airport Authority board.
“More travelers than ever are experiencing RDU and that is very exciting,” said Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Landguth. “Our airline partners are responding to growing demand in a growing community. To keep pace, we are moving quickly to implement Vision 2040 projects, investing in our airfield, terminals, ground transportation, and general aviation infrastructure.”
Year-to-date passenger enplanements are outpacing last year’s record by 9.5 percent. In May, enplanements increased 13 percent compared to May 2017. Additional flights will be added throughout the summer as Frontier Airlines adds new nonstops to Syracuse, Portland (Maine), Harrisburg, and San Diego through August. Delta Air Lines is also adding larger jets and more frequency on key routes and saw enplanements grow by 15 percent compared to May 2017.
Airport Enhancements
The board approved a $22.3 million contract to DPR Construction for several major projects. The projects include rehabilitation of Cemetery Road, John Brantley Boulevard and the ParkRDU Economy 3 parking lot as well as repairs to National Guard Drive and the installation of new roadway signage across the airport campus, including new digital road signs. Construction on John Brantley Boulevard and ParkRDU Economy 3 will begin late this summer, with all projects set for completion at the end of 2019.
About the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority
The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority operates Raleigh-Durham International Airport. In 2017, 11.6 million passengers, about 32,000 people per day, flew through RDU. With 57 nonstop destinations and 10 airlines, RDU connects central North Carolina to the people and places that matter most. RDU powers our region’s economy with an $8.5 billion annual economic impact supporting 5,000 on campus and 20,000 regional jobs. RDU has the lowest average airfare of major North Carolina airports and was named the best connected medium hub airport by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s International Center for Aviation in 2016 and 2017. Learn about the Airport Authority board, including its monthly meetings.
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