TSA Adds New Checkpoint Technology:
RDU expects nearly 139,000 passengers to fly through the airport over Memorial Day weekend, compared to 103,000 over the same weekend in 2021. The busiest days will be Friday and Monday, with an estimated 37,750 people traveling on each of those days.
“Passengers are returning to air travel in numbers we have not seen since the spring of 2020,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “The summer season is expected to meet and sometimes exceed the passenger traffic levels we experienced prior to the pandemic.”
The summer season is the busiest time of year at RDU, with even more travelers flying between May and August than during the winter holidays from Thanksgiving to New Year’s.
TSA Technology: TSA is adding new technology at the Terminal 1 and 2 checkpoints that enhance security, reduce physical contact and allow passengers to keep more items in their carry-on bags during the screening process. Passengers will need to put all the items they are carrying on in a bin with nothing sticking out. The technology is expected to be installed in every lane in both terminals by the end of June. RDU will have additional members of its Guest Experience team helping travelers at the checkpoints.
Travel Tips: RDU recommends booking parking in advance at ParkRDU.com for guaranteed entry into the deck or lot of your choice and the lowest available rate. To help reduce congestion on the curb, arriving passengers can be picked up on either level of Terminal 2. Travelers should arrive two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights to find parking, check in and get to their gate.
Road Work: Airport guests who use the Lumley Road entrance should also allow extra time for road work on International Drive, where the road is being repaved and rebuilt between Commerce Drive and John Brantley Blvd.
Frontier Flights: Frontier Airlines launched or restarted four routes at RDU this week and four others in April. RDU welcomed back Frontier flights to Islip (New York), Providence, Syracuse, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Detroit and New Orleans. The airline also made an inaugural flight to Newburgh, New York – a new destination for RDU.
“Today we are excited to celebrate the start of additional routes from Raleigh-Durham as Frontier Airlines continues to grow,” said Daniel Shurz, senior vice president of commercial, Frontier Airlines. “We now fly to 22 destinations nonstop from RDU with connecting options to cities across our U.S. and international network. We are the airline of choice for those seeking affordable, family-friendly fares and excellent service.”