RDU had two of the busiest days in airport history this month as families gathered in the Triangle to celebrate college graduations and Mother’s Day. More than 31,500 passengers boarded flights on Sunday, May 11 – the second highest number of travelers RDU has ever served in a day. Monday, May 12 now ranks sixth, with over 30,600 passengers departing from the airport. Dec. 1, 2024, holds the single-day record with more than 32,400 travelers flying out of RDU in one day.

“RDU is all about making connections, and we are pleased that so many families made us part of their travel plans during one of the most special weekends of the year,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “This busy weekend coincided with the REAL ID deadline, and we appreciate the hard work of Team RDU, the airlines and our agency partners in ensuring a smooth travel experience.”    

REAL ID: The rollout of TSA’s REAL ID requirement got off to a strong start at RDU on May 7. Travelers now need a REAL ID, passport or other federally approved identification to board commercial flights at airports across the country. RDU’s Guest Experience team is in the terminals managing queues and educating passengers about the requirement to help ensure a convenient travel experience now that enforcement is underway.  

Air Service: RDU will add two new international destinations to its route map in June when Air Canada starts nonstop service to Vancouver and WestJet begins flying nonstop to Calgary. The Vancouver route will launch on June 5, followed by Calgary on June 9. Triangle-area travelers who want to head south will soon have a quick and convenient option for visiting the Florida Keys. Breeze Airways, the fastest-growing airline at RDU by number of routes added, will launch nonstop flights to Key West on Oct. 3. Breeze will also add another convenient option for visiting New England when it begins nonstop operations to Manchester, New Hampshire, on Nov. 6.

New Airport Authority Board Officers: The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority Board elected new officers in May. Tammie Hall-Roberts, representing the City of Durham, was chosen as Board Chair, making her the first female to serve in this role. Nina Szlosberg-Landis, representing the City of Raleigh, will serve as Vice Chair; Shelley Winters, also from the City of Raleigh, is the Treasurer; and Yesenia Polanco-Galdamez, a Board member from Durham County, is the Secretary. The Board also welcomed two new members: Nil Ghosh from Durham County and Nana Asante-Smith from the City of Durham.

John Brantley Boulevard Extension Public Workshop: The Airport Authority held a public workshop in May for the Environmental Compliance Review (ECR) of one of its major capital projects – the extension of John Brantley Boulevard. The workshop provided an opportunity for the community to learn about the Authority’s environmental analysis of the roadway project and submit comments. Authority staff are developing a final report that will be submitted to the Airport Authority Board before construction begins. RDU’s ECR process is the first of its kind among airports nationwide and exceeds federal and state environmental requirements.