New United Airlines Flights Announced, Vision 2040 Master Plan Continues
Please see corrections to the recent news release below, including the headline. The Airport Authority sincerely regrets the error. Please contact Andrew Sawyer with any questions.
RDU Airport, N.C. – In May 2016, 514,217 travelers boarded aircraft at RDU, the highest since Sept. 11, 2001 and the second highest on record.* The milestone was reached in a month that saw 15.3 percent growth over May 2015, the airport announced today during its monthly board meeting.
May was also the airport’s 27th consecutive month of year-over-year growth. And, Airline Weekly this week named RDU the 10th fastest growing airport in the U.S. RDU’s growth is attributed to the region’s strong economy and airlines which are continuing to add seat capacity at the airport.
“We are fortunate to live in a growing region, with a very healthy economy and with residents who travel frequently. Our focus is on providing a world-class experience while meeting the growing air service needs of our region for decades to come,” said Airport Authority President and Chief Executive Officer Michael Landguth
United, Delta Add Service
United Airlines recently informed the airport that it is adding new, nonstop service between RDU and New York LaGuardia Airport beginning Oct. 30, 2016. Three daily flights will be available between the two cities, featuring two-class service aboard E-170 aircraft. The flights will operate six days per week.
The air service announcement comes on the heels of new service announced by Delta to New Jersey’s Newark Airport beginning in November.
Preparing For Additional Growth
RDU has several projects underway to prepare for continued airport growth.
In April, the Airport Authority launched ParkRDU, a major realignment of RDU’s parking program. ParkRDU has allowed the airport to manage increased passenger numbers more effectively by increasing efficiency in the airport’s parking facilities.
In May, with the highest number of enplaned travelers on record, the 11,000-space parking garage between the terminals filled to capacity only once during the 31-day period. In previous years, when the garage was configured into daily/hourly segments, the same facility would reach capacity multiple days per week.
Inside Terminal 2, construction will begin shortly to convert Gate C-21 to international use. The gate currently serves domestic flights only, but with increased international flights, the gate is needed to provide additional international capacity.
Looking ahead, the airport is preparing for long range growth through the Vision 2040 master planning process. When complete in December, Vision 2040 will provide a road map for development of facilities and infrastructure improvements over the next 25 years.
Currently, nine alternative development plans are available for public review and comment. Those nine alternatives will be narrowed to four plans for further study. The four plans will be presented for public comment during a public workshop on Tuesday, June 28.
*The highest monthly passenger enplanement count at RDU occurred in July 2001, when 523,466 passengers boarded aircraft.
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