Raleigh–Durham International Airport

"Durham Airport" redirects here. For the UK airport, see Durham Tees Valley Airport.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport
IATA: RDU ICAO: KRDU FAA LID: RDU RDU Location of the Raleigh-Durham International Airport
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority
Serves	The Research Triangle Metropolitan Region of North Carolina
Location	Cedar Fork Township, Wake County, North Carolina
Hub for	Ram Air Freight
Elevation AMSL	435 ft / 133 m
Coordinates	35°52′40″N 078°47′15″W
Website	www.rdu.com
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 5L/23R 10,000 3,048 Concrete 5R/23L 7,500 2,286 Asphalt 14/32 3,570 1,088 Asphalt
Statistics (2010)
Passenger movements 9,101,920 Airfreight movements in tonnes 90,647 Aircraft movements 198,245
Sources: RDU website

Raleigh-Durham International Airport (IATA: RDU, ICAO: KRDU, FAA LID: RDU) is a public international airport located 4.5 miles (7 km) northeast of the town of Morrisville in suburban Wake County, North Carolina, United States. The airport covers 4,929 acres (1,995 ha) and operates three runways, providing direct service to 40 domestic and international destinations on 372 daily flights. In 2007, more than 10 million passengers traveled through the airport. The RDU Airport Authority is in charge of the airport facilities and its operations. The Airport Authority is controlled by a board of representatives from the counties of Wake and Durham, and the cities of Raleigh and Durham. The airport is the main base of operations for Ram Air Freight.

History

Early days

Early photo of Raleigh-Durham Airport.

The region's first airport opened in 1929 as Raleigh's Municipal Airport, located just south of what is now the city's downtown area. The initial airfield's runways were limited and not well suited to commercial service. Consequently, in 1939, the North Carolina General Assembly chartered the Raleigh-Durham Aeronautical Authority to build and operate a larger, replacement airport convenient to both Raleigh and Durham. This effort also was strongly promoted by Eastern Air Lines, led by then Eastern chairman Eddie Rickenbacker who sought to make Raleigh-Durham a stopover on the airline's New York-Miami route.

The new Raleigh-Durham Airport opened for commercial service on May 1, 1943, inaugurated with flights by Eastern Airlines. The passenger terminal was built from materials remaining after the construction of four Army barracks for the site's use as an Army Air Forces Air Technical Service Command airfield. Following World War II, Capital Airlines and Piedmont Airlines joined Eastern at RDU. Delta Air Lines and Allegheny Airlines began service in the 1970s, and Trans World Airlines and American Airlines began service in the 1980s.

An American Airlines Boeing 777 flight from London Gatwick Airport lands at RDU. (2005)

Hub years

American Airlines built a dedicated terminal at RDU between 1985 and 1987 to house a new hub operation. However, the RDU hub was operating at a loss even during its heyday in the early 1990s, along with AA's contemporaneous north-south hubs in Nashville International Airport and San Jose International Airport. The hub's traffic peaked in 1991 and operations were gradually downsized through 1995, with some services shifting to American Eagle turboprops and others (such as AA's nonstop flight to Orly Airport in Paris) terminated entirely. Midway Airlines replaced AA as the airport's hub carrier from 1995 until 2003.

However, AA maintained a daily nonstop flight to London, originally launched to Gatwick Airport in May 1994 using a Boeing 767-200ER. The route continues to operate today, partly due to the needs of the region's corporate travelers, particularly those of GlaxoSmithKline which has major bases of operation in west London near Heathrow Airport and in the Research Triangle Park near RDU. On March 29, 2008, American Airlines upgraded its London flight to serve the larger and more centrally located Heathrow Airport. The RDU-London flight used three-class 777-200 equipment for several years and is currently operated by two-class 767-300ER equipment.

Post-hub years

An overview of the airport. (2009)

RDU's post-hub years have brought the addition of several new carriers (most notably Southwest Airlines), as well as new destinations and the recovery and steady growth of passenger traffic. Due to high fuel prices, AMR reduced the number of flights by cutting the flights to Jacksonville, Kansas City, Newark and Louisville. Mainline flights to Austin, Columbus, New York (LaGuardia) and St. Louis were also dropped. Other destinations saw reduced service or downgrade of service. Along with the American Airlines cuts, other airlines cut flights and destinations also. This included United's service to Denver and US Airways' services to Las Vegas and Phoenix, while other airlines dropped frequencies on routes. Independently, ExpressJet ended its services to Kansas City and New Orleans (ExpressJet now only operates flights under Continental Express). For the 2008 year, RDU lost over 30 flights compared to March 2008 schedule.

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 on final approach to runway 23R.

In 2010, RDU's traffic began to recover from the downturn of the past two years. In the first few months of the year, passenger numbers stabilized at RDU, ending the decrease in 2008/2009. In the first four months of 2010, 2.7 million passengers traveled through RDU. Growth was flat, compared to the same period a year ago, but these signs are positive, indicating that the decline is over. Also, after cutting service, carriers at RDU began to add (or re-add) new service to the schedule. In April 2010, Midwest Airlines resumed service from RDU, adding service to Milwaukee. Southwest Airlines, which began service to RDU in June 1999, has also aggressively expanded at RDU, adding service to St. Louis in May, and replacing American Airlines as the largest carrier at RDU. JetBlue Airways also increased service to Boston in May 2010.

Delta Air Lines has rapidly increased operations at the airport since 2010, starting with resumed nonstop service to Los Angeles in June 2010, followed by new nonstop service to Columbus, Fort Myers, Hartford, Miami, Orlando, St. Louis and Tampa, and additional frequencies to Boston, Minneapolis-St. Paul and New York (JFK), in November 2010, and new services to Albany and Providence in April 2011.

In February 2011, Continental Airlines commenced its first international flight from RDU with service to Cancún. Delta added three daily flights to Baltimore in September 2011. In November, Vision Airlines began operations at RDU, and added a twice weekly flight to Freeport.

Terminals, airlines and destinations

Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft docked at the upper gates of Terminal 1.

A Northwest Airlines (Merged into Delta Air Lines) Airbus A320 aircraft landing on Runway 5L-23R.

A McDonnell Douglas MD-82 aircraft of American Airlines.

Raleigh-Durham International Airport consists of two terminals: Terminal 1 (gates A10-A28) and Terminal 2 (Concourse C gates C1-C25, Concourse D gates D1-D20). Gates C23, C24, and C25 are international gates, and are able to accommodate aircraft up to the Boeing 747.

Airlines	Destinations	Terminal/Concourse
Air Canada Express operated by Jazz Air	Toronto-Pearson	2-D
AirTran Airways	Atlanta	1-A
American Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, London-Heathrow, Miami	2-C
American Eagle	Chicago-O'Hare, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, Washington-National	2-C
Delta Air Lines	Atlanta, Detroit Seasonal: Cancún, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul	2-C
Delta Connection operated by Chautauqua Airlines	Baltimore, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Hartford	2-C
Delta Connection operated by Comair	Boston, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Columbus (OH), Detroit, Hartford, Indianapolis, New York-JFK, New York-LaGuardia, St. Louis	2-C
Delta Connection operated by Compass Airlines	Detroit, Indianapolis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York-LaGuardia	2-C
Delta Connection operated by ExpressJet	Baltimore, Boston, Hartford, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Orlando, Tampa	2-C
Delta Connection operated by GoJet Airlines	New York-LaGuardia [begins July 11, 2012]	2-C
Delta Connection operated by Mesaba Airlines	Boston, Detroit	2-C
Delta Connection operated by Pinnacle Airlines	Boston, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, Columbus (OH), Detroit, Hartford, Memphis, New York-JFK Seasonal: Miami [ends April 7, 2012]	2-C
Delta Connection operated by Shuttle America	New York-LaGuardia	2-C
Delta Connection operated by SkyWest Airlines	Minneapolis/St. Paul	2-C
JetBlue Airways	Boston, Fort Lauderdale, New York-JFK	2-C
Southwest Airlines	Baltimore, Chicago-Midway, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston-Hobby [begins April 22, 2012], Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis, Tampa	1-A
United Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark, Washington-Dulles Seasonal: Cancún	2-D
United Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines	Cleveland	2-D
United Express operated by Colgan Air	Cleveland, Newark	2-D
United Express operated by ExpressJet Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Cleveland, Houston-Intercontinental, Newark, Washington-Dulles	2-D
United Express operated by Mesa Airlines	Chicago-O'Hare, Washington-Dulles	2-D
United Express operated by Shuttle America	Chicago-O'Hare, Newark	2-D
United Express operated by SkyWest Airlines	Houston-Intercontinental	2-D
US Airways	Charlotte, Philadelphia	2-D
US Airways Express operated by Air Wisconsin	Charlotte, New York-LaGuardia [ends July 10], Philadelphia, Washington-National	2-D
US Airways Express operated by Chautauqua Airlines	New York-LaGuardia [ends July 10], Washington-National	2-D
US Airways Express operated by Mesa Airlines	Charlotte	2-D
US Airways Express operated by PSA Airlines	Charlotte	2-D
US Airways Express operated by Republic Airlines	Philadelphia	2-D
US Airways Express operated by Trans States Airlines	New York-LaGuardia, Pittsburgh	2-D
Vision Airlines	Freeport	2

Airport lounges

The following Airport lounge is located in Terminal 1:

• The Club at RDU operated by RDU Airport Authority (After security, across from Gate A21)

The following Airport lounges are located in Terminal 2:

• Admirals Club operated by American Airlines (After security, across from Gates C1 and C3)
• Delta Sky Club operated by Delta Air Lines (After security, across from Gate C3)
• US Airways Club operated by US Airways (Currently under construction, opening 2012)

Cargo terminal

RDU's North Cargo Terminal

The airport incorporates two cargo areas, North Cargo and South Cargo. The North Cargo terminal area is used by cargo airlines. The largest cargo operators are FedEx, UPS, and Ram Air Freight, which has its headquarters here, adjacent to Terminal 2. The South Cargo terminal area is used by the following commercial airlines for cargo operations:

Airlines	Destinations
Bankair	Charlotte
Business Airfreight	New Bern
Capital Cargo International Airlines	Toledo
FedEx Express	Indianapolis, Memphis
FedEx Feeder operated by Mountain Air Cargo	Greensboro, Manteo/Dare County
Ram Air Freight	Asheville, Atlanta-DeKalb Peachtree, Beaufort [SC], Charlotte, Concord, Elizabeth City, Fayetteville [NC], Greenville [NC], Hatteras, Jacksonville [NC], Kinston, Lumberton, Manteo/Dare County, New Bern, Pinehurst/Southern Pines, Richmond-Hanover County, Richmond International, Rocky Mount-Wilson, Wilmington [NC]
UPS Airlines	Columbia [SC], Louisville, Ontario [CA], Philadelphia, Roanoke
UPS Airlines operated by Martinaire	Edenton, Manteo/Dare County, New Bern, Jacksonville [NC], Wilmington [NC]

Passenger statistics

Since September 11, 2001, passenger traffic at RDU has rebounded to near pre-9/11 levels:

1980s	1990s	2000s	2010s
- - - - - 1985 = 2.7 million 1986 = 3.1 million 1987 = 4.8 million 1988 = 7.3 million 1989 = 8.5 million	1990 = 9.2 million 1991 = 9.3 million 1992 = 9.9 million 1993 = 9.6 million 1994 = 8.9 million 1995 = 5.9 million 1996 = 6.4 million 1997 = 6.7 million 1998 = 7.2 million 1999 = 8.9 million	2000 = 10.4 million 2001 = 9.5 million 2002 = 8.2 million 2003 = 7.9 million 2004 = 8.6 million 2005 = 9.3 million 2006 = 9.4 million 2007 = 10.0 million 2008 = 9.7 million 2009 = 8.9 million	2010 = 9.1 million - - - - - - - - -

Top destinations

Busiest Domestic Routes from RDU (October 2010 - September 2011)

Rank	City	Passengers	Carriers
1	Atlanta, GA	614,000	AirTran, Delta
2	Charlotte, NC	336,000	US Airways
3	Philadelphia, PA	288,000	Southwest, US Airways
4	New York, NY (LGA)	264,000	American, Delta, US Airways
5	Chicago, IL (ORD)	242,000	American, United
6	Dallas/Fort Worth, TX	214,000	American
7	Baltimore, MD	200,000	Delta, Southwest
8	Boston, MA	182,000	Delta, JetBlue
9	New York, NY (JFK)	172,000	American, Delta, JetBlue
10	Washington, D.C. (DCA)	133,000	American, US Airways

Airport facilities

The airport has implemented the most ambitious expansion in its history, begun in 2006 and completed in January 2011. The airport has two terminals: an older Terminal 1, and a new Terminal 2. 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.

Terminal 1

Southwest Airlines aircraft parked at the north end of Terminal 1.

The first terminal facility at RDU opened in 1955. Expanded in the 1970s, the building was named Terminal B in 1981 when then-new Terminal A opened. The buildings were connected by a landside interior walkway. Terminal B was closed in 1989. In 1994, Terminal B lost its identity when it was renovated into an extension of Terminal A; an airside walkway was added to link all gates. Most recently, in 2001 the south end of Terminal A was extended to include five temporary gates (A5-A9); these gates were closed in 2009, as the airlines using them moved to other gates.

Terminal A was renamed Terminal 1 on October 26, 2008 to bring RDU in line with terminal naming conventions and to end years of confusion.

For several years there have been concepts to renovate Terminal 1. The current proposal will shift JetBlue to Terminal 2 in 2011 and AirTran (which is being acquired by Southwest) to the older, northern end of Terminal 1. The main part of Terminal 1, unoccupied at that time, will be rebuilt to accommodate the merged Southwest and AirTran with some additional gates available for assignment to other low-cost carriers. After Southwest moves into this rebuilt area of Terminal 1, the older section dating to 1955 will probably be razed.

Terminal 2

New gates at Terminal 2 (Concourse C).

Terminal 2 occupies the site of the former Terminal C, built between 1985 and 1987 for the American Airlines hub. In planning the terminal, American assumed that only around 20% of passengers would originate or terminate their trips in Raleigh-Durham; rather, Terminal C was optimized for the exchange of passengers between connecting flights, with a relatively small check-in and baggage claim area. In reality, connecting passengers only accounted for around two-thirds of the terminal's passengers. After the American and Midway hubs closed, the airport faced a decision about the future of Terminal C and how to eliminate the inconveniences it imposed on local passengers.

In December 2003, the Airport Authority announced plans to expand and renovate the originally 300,000-square-foot (28,000 m²) building, transforming it into a new 900,000 ft² (84,000 m²) facility. In January 2006, however, the airport decided instead to replace the building entirely.

Terminal 2 was designed by Fentress Architects under a philosophy of contextual regionalism, related to Critical regionalism. The terminal, invoking the flowing hills and culture of North Carolina's Piedmont region, consisted of two phases of construction. The first, larger Phase 1 opened on October 26, 2008 while Phase 2 opened on January 23, 2011 in time for the 2011 NHL All Star Game. Terminal 2 has 36 gates; three configured for international flights. All gates feature adjustable jetbridges that can accommodate aircraft from regional jets to Boeing 747s. The federal inspection area has 16 stations.

FBOs

RDU has two, full service, FBOs on the airfield:

• TACAir
• Landmark Aviation

Both FBOs Offer:

• 24 Hour Fuel Services
• Heated Hangars
• Internet Cafe
• Maintenance Services
• Sleep Rooms
• Catering
• Rental Cars
• US Customs
• Complimentary Coffee
• Conference Room
• Crew Showers
• Hotel/Dinner Reservations
• Taxi/Limousine Services
• Flight Training On Site
• Tie-Downs

General Aviation Terminal

Planes parked at the RDU general aviation terminal.

RDU control tower and parking lot.

RDU's General Aviation Terminal serves as:

• Terminal for charter flights (sports, military and leisure)
• Pilot's resource center
• Private-event facility
• Office for several local aviation-related companies
• Cross-Winds Cafe
• Indoor/Outdoor observation deck, overlooking runway 5R/23L
• Raleigh-Wake squadron of the North Carolina wing of the Civil Air Patrol Meeting Location
• Rental Car Facility (military personnel and charter flight passengers)

Runways

RDU has three runways. Two parallel runways are designated 5L/23R and 5R/23L, and a cross-winds runway designated 14/32. Both parallel runways have been equipped with LED lights.

• Runway 5L-23R: 10,000 feet (3,000 m) x 150 feet (concrete)
• Runway 5R-23L: 7,500 feet (2,300 m) x 150 feet (asphalt)
• Runway 14-32: 3,550 feet (1,080 m) x 100 feet (asphalt)

Prior to September 11, 2001, The RDU Airport Authority and Federal Aviation Administration planned a fourth runway at the airport, but with the demise of the Midway Airlines hub and the airline industry downturn following 9/11 terrorist attacks, this plan was placed on hold. During the period between May 27, 2008 and June 24, 2008, and between May 19, 2010 and June 17, 2010, runway 5R-23L was closed for renovation.

Parking

In addition to standard hourly and daily parking garages, RDU operates four park-and-ride lots served by shuttle bus.

• Lot 1 is a "cell-phone waiting" lot
• Lots 2 and 5 are used primarily for seasonal overflow and holiday traffic.
• Lots 3 and 4 are traditional park-and-ride facilities.

There are, currently, a total of 11,021 parking spaces available to passengers

Military

• 1st (Attack) Battalion, 130th Aviation Regiment Battalion of the 130th Aviation Regiment — North Carolina Army National Guard AH-64A/D Apache/Apache Longbow attack helicopter unit, the first Reserve component unit to receive the Apache
• USO of NC (United Service Organization of North Carolina) RDU is North Carolina's first airport-based USO and opened for military families in 2004. The facility is run by donations made to the USO. RDU USO location and facts:
  • Terminal 2 Ticketing Area
    • Open 24 hours a day
    • Staffed by Volunteers
    • 3,100 square feet (290 m²)
    • Media Center
    • Bright Spaces (children only play area)
    • Reading Room
    • Kitchen

Observation areas

A model of RDU runways for children at the outdoor observation deck.

RDU maintains two public observation decks.

• One deck overlooks runway 5L/23R near the air traffic control tower and park-and-ride lot 2. It has a playground with a simplistic model of RDU's runways for kids and air traffic communications are broadcast via a loudspeaker for the curious public.

• The second deck is located at the General Aviation Terminal. It includes a cafe called "CrossWinds Cafe". This observation deck allows for both inside and outside viewing.

Ground transportation

Public transit

Public transportation to and from RDU is provided by Triangle Transit, which offers scheduled, fixed-route regional and commuter bus service between the airport, Amtrak, and the principal cities of Raleigh, Durham and town of Chapel Hill (where TTA connects with the respective local urban transit systems), as well as to and from Research Triangle Park and several of the region's larger suburban communities.

• TTA Route 100 [Downtown Raleigh - RDU - Regional Transit Center]

For hire

• Taxicab service at RDU is operated by RDU Taxi Inc., with a contract that runs through December 31, 2012.
• Shuttle services: As in most regions, numerous hotels throughout the area offer guest shuttles to and from the airport. Service varies by location, however most are available from approximately 6 a.m. daily through the final arrival/departure of the evening.
• Major rental car providers operate from the airport.

Incidents and accidents

• On October 19, 2011, A Piper PA-31T Cheyenne (N154CA) veered off the runway shortly after landing on runway 5R. The front landing gear collapsed resulting in both propellers making contact with the ground. Heavy rain was reported at the time of the accident. Two people were on board the twin-engine plane, but no injuries were reported.

• On July 14, 2011, Delta Connection Flight 4904, operated by Atlantic Southeast Airlines, was headed to RDU when it was clipped by a Boeing 767 headed to Amsterdam at the Boston Logan International Airport. Both the CRJ900 and Boeing 767 appeared to have sustained damage, and were inspected. There were no serious injuries.

• On December 13, 1994, American Eagle Flight 3379 operated by AMR's regional airline Flagship Airlines, 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, NC. Of the 20 onboard (18 passengers and 2 crewmembers) 15 were killed while the 5 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.

• On February 19, 1988, American Eagle Flight 3378 operated by the Avair, a Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner was on a regularly scheduled flight between Raleigh and Richmond when it crashed into a reservoir about a mile from the airport, where it had departed in the vicinity of Cary, North Carolina: The aircraft 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.

See also

• List of airports in North Carolina
• North Carolina World War II Army Airfields

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

External links

• Raleigh-Durham International Airport
• RDU Aircraft Noise Program
• Template:PDFlink at North Carolina DOT
• FAA Airport Diagram (PDF), effective November 28, 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