Raleigh–Durham International Airport (IATA:RDU,ICAO:KRDU,FAALID:RDU), locally known by its IATA code RDU, is aninternational airport that servesRaleigh,Durham, and the surroundingResearch Triangle region ofNorth Carolina as its main airport. It is located inWake County, but is surrounded by the city of Raleigh to the north and east, and the towns ofCary andMorrisville to the south. The airport covers 5,000 acres (20 km2) and has three runways.[3][4]
As of 2025, RDU ranks 35th in passenger arrivals and departures in the US, offering passenger service to over 85 destinations, including 15 international destinations in 11 countries.[5] It was the 38th busiest US airport by international passenger traffic in 2023.[6] The airport serves 31 U.S. states, plusPuerto Rico, withAtlanta being the busiest domestic route, andNew York metropolitan area having the most passengers per day.[7] As of 2025,Delta Air Lines has the largest market share, andBreeze Airways flies to the most destinations with 35.[8][9] There are nearly 600 daily aircraft operations.[10] The RDU Airport Authority is in charge of the airport facilities and operations and is controlled by a board of representatives from the counties of Wake &Durham plus the cities of Raleigh & Durham.
The region's first airport opened in 1929 asRaleigh Municipal Airport, south of Raleigh. It was quickly outgrown, and in 1939 theNorth Carolina General Assembly chartered the Raleigh–Durham Aeronautical Authority to build and operate a larger airport between Raleigh and Durham. This was promoted byEastern Air Lines, led by then chairmanEddie Rickenbacker, who wanted to make RDU a stop on the airline's New York–Miami route.
The new Raleigh–Durham Airport opened on May 1, 1943, with flights by Eastern Airlines. The passenger terminal was built from materials remaining after the construction of four barracks for the Army Air Forces Air Technical Service Command airfield.[14] The three runways the airport had in 1951 are still visible on the southeast side of the airport: 4500-ft runway 5, 4500-ft runway 18 and 4490-ft runway 14.
AfterWorld War II,Capital Airlines joined Eastern at RDU;Piedmont Airlines arrived in 1948. The April 1957 Official Airline Guide shows 36 departures a day: twenty Eastern, eight Capital and eight Piedmont. Nonstop flights did not reach beyondWashington,Atlanta, or theAppalachians (but Eastern started aSuper Constellation nonstop toNewark in 1958). The next airline (aside from United's takeover of Capital in 1961) wasDelta Air Lines in 1970. In April 1969, nonstops didn't reach beyond New York or Atlanta, andChicago was the only nonstop west of the Appalachians. RDU's first scheduled jets were Eastern727s in 1965.
Like many airports in the southern United States, it was operated as segregated facility with separate waiting areas for "White" and "Colored" people. It was later desegregated in the 1960s in response to protests by students at local universities.[15]
In the 1970s, the last decade before airline deregulation, Piedmont connected RDU to the North Carolina cities of Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, New Bern, Rocky Mount, Winston-Salem, and Wilmington. It also connected to Norfolk, Virginia; Richmond, Virginia; and Washington, among others.[16] United flew to Asheville, Charlotte, Huntsville, and Newark,[17] while Eastern flew to Atlanta, Charlotte, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Richmond, and Washington,[18] and Delta flew to Chicago and Greensboro.[19]
American Airlines (AA) built a terminal at RDU between 1985 and 1987 to house a new hub, and flew to 38 cities when the hub started in June 1987.[22] The December 1987 timetable shows AA nonstops to 36 airports and American Eagle prop nonstops to 18 more. In 1988, the first international destination wasParis-Orly with AA.[23][24] Caribbean destinations started in 1989, with routes toBermuda,Cancún, St. Croix andSt. Thomas.[23] The RDU hub operated at a loss even during its heyday in the early 1990s, like the hub AA had atNashville.[25] AA's December 1992 timetable, around the time of the hub's peak, showed 211 daily departures to 64 destinations, almost all in the eastern United States (the westernmost destinations being AA's hubs atDallas/Fort Worth andChicago–O'Hare).[26] The hub faced intense competition fromDelta andEastern inAtlanta,Northwest inMemphis, and fromUSAir inCharlotte, as well as the short-livedContinental hub inGreensboro that opened in 1993.[27] AA began to consider closing the hub in late 1993. AA started servingLondon-Gatwick and discontinuing the Paris flight in 1994.[23] The London route was originally launched based on a purchasing commitment fromGlaxoSmithKline, which has major offices at both ends of the route; the route is no longer dependent on GSK for revenue.[28] AA operations were reduced until June 1995 when they closed the hub.[26][27] In 1996,Air Canada became the airport's first international carrier with service toToronto.[29]Canadian Regional Airlines also started service to Toronto in 1997.[23] Other brief international airports served via AA between late 1980s and mid 1990s includeGrand Cayman,Nassau, andSaint Maarten.[24]
RDU's post-hub years have brought the addition of new carriers and destinations, notablydiscount carriers such asAllegiant Air,Southwest Airlines andFrontier Airlines. Because of the economic downturn and high fuel prices in 2008,American ended mostpoint to point flights it operated out of the airport. Several mainline flights were also dropped and service to other cities was reduced or downgraded. Other airlines also cut flights and destinations includingUnited Airlines andUS Airways. AA moved toLondon-Heathrow from Gatwick in 2008.[23] Also in 2008, the airport was modernized; the current rebuilt Terminal 2 opened, on the site of the old Terminal C that was built in 1987. The rebuild was completed in 2011, and was designed byFentress Architects.[34][35] AAAdmirals Club moved to Terminal 2 in 2008, with the rest of AA moving operations to that terminal.[36]Delta Sky Club opened in 2009, and expanded in 2016.[37][38]
By 2010, RDU's traffic began to recover. In the first few months of the year, passenger numbers stabilized at RDU, ending the decrease the airport experienced in 2008 and 2009. In the first four months of 2010, 2.7 million passengers traveled through RDU.[39] Growth was flat compared to the same period a year before, but these signs were positive indicating that the decline was over. Airlines at RDU began to add new services to the schedule with both legacy and low-cost carriers significantly increasing service since the early 2010s. Terminal 1 was renovated in 2014.[20] TheUS Airways Club merged with the Admiral Club also that year when US Airways merged with AA.[40][41] The airport restarted Paris service, this time toParis–Charles de Gaulle in 2016 with Delta.[23]
In 2018,Delta Air Lines named the airport afocus city, which it decided to maintain in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic due to the area's strong economy and lack of a dominant network carrier.[42][43] Delta also maintains a satelliteflight attendants base.[44][45] TheUnited Club opened in 2019, which is the airports third passenger lounge.[40]
In November 2022,Avelo Airlines announced the opening of an operating base at Raleigh-Durham. Service started on February 15, 2023. Avelo initially operated two aircraft, but now currently operates one aircraft. The company employs around 90 employees at the airport.[49][50]
Endeavor Air, aregional airline for Delta, opened a crew base in the spring of 2025, with expected 130 to 170 employees.[51] The base also supports over 140 aircraft.[52] Additionally, RDU announced its fifth European flight with nonstop flights toDublin expected to start April 13, 2026 viaAer Lingus.[53] Breeze plans to open an operating base in 2026, with planned 200 pilots & flight attendants.[54]
The Vision 2040 Master Plan details several major improvements that are aimed to be made by 2040. Proposed in 2017 by the RDU Airport Authority, the plan calls for major additions and renovations of current facilities at the airport. This includes the expansion of parking lots, expansion of both terminals, improvements to the taxiway layout, and the replacement 5L/23R runway. Terminal 1 is planned to expand to 24 gates, while Terminal 2 is planned to expand to 53 gates, with expected completion in 2032.[55][56] The existing runway 5L/23R will become a taxiway for the new runway. After modifying the planned runway length multiple times, theFederal Aviation Administration authorized the construction of the new runway on September 5, 2023.[57] The construction of RDU's new 5L/23R runway began on October 11, 2023. The new runway will be built at a length of 10,639 feet (3,243 m), and is anticipated to start paving in 2027, to be finished in 2029.[58][59][21]
In June 2023, the Airport Authority Board approved an agreement to advance the planning process for Terminal 1 expansion to allow for future growth as RDU reached new passenger traffic records and destinations served. RDU is also planning on expanding their customs and border patrol center to accommodate the increase in international flights at RDU.[60]
Runway 05L/23R is north of the airport terminals, while runways 05R/23Land 14/32 are south of the airport terminals. New runway 05L/23R is currently under construction north of the current runway 05L/23R.
The airport contains two terminals with a total of 45 gates.[61] The terminals do not have an airside connection; passengers moving between the terminals may ride ashuttle bus or take themoving walkway through covered parking decks between the terminals. All nonprecleared international flights are processed in Terminal 2 and arrive into gates C21, C23, C24 and C25.
Terminal 1 contains 9 gates, A1–A9. The terminal is used by Alaska Airlines, Avelo Airlines, Breeze Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines. In 2024, RDU moved three airlines in Terminal 2 to maximize check-in, gate space, and overall terminal space for airlines at Terminal 2.
Terminal 2 contains 36 gates, with concourses C and D. This is the only terminal at RDU that hosts international arrivals, utilizing gates C21 and C23–C25. Aer Lingus, Aeroméxico, Air Canada, Air France, American Airlines, BermudAir, Copa Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Icelandair, JetBlue, Lufthansa, WestJet, and United fly from Terminal 2.[61]American Airlines Admirals Club,Delta Air Lines Sky Club,United Club, andUSO of North Carolina are all located in this terminal.[62][63]
The airport incorporates two cargo areas, North Cargo and South Cargo, with over 469,000 square feet of cargo space.[64][65] The North Cargo terminal area is used by cargo airlines. The largest cargo operators areFedEx andUPS. The South Cargo terminal area is used by commercial airlines for cargo operations.Delta Cargo has capabilities for specialized pharmacy shipments.[66]
^Includes flights operated by American Eagle, Delta Connection, and United Expresspartner airlines. The specific airline total passenger numbers only includemainline operations.
On January 2, 1953, aUSAFDouglas C-47 crashed near RDU attempting to land with rain and low visibility after diverting fromPope AFB inFayetteville. The aircraft crashed nearly two miles south of the airport inLake Crabtree County Park. Three out of the four occupants died.[140]
On December 4, 1971, anEastern Air LinesDC-9-31, operating as flight 898, collided with aCessna U206 while on final approach to runway 5 (now runway 5 right). Both aircraft were following instructions from air traffic controllers at the airport. As the DC-9 was on final and cleared to continue its approach, they reported to the tower that they had descended on top of another aircraft. Following the collision, the Cessna became stuck to the landing gear of the DC-9, falling off several miles later and crashing within the airport property. Both the pilot and single passenger of the Cessna were killed upon impact. The DC-9 landed safely about an hour later with no injuries to the 27 souls on board, and suffered only minor damage to the landing gear. Following the crash, theNTSB determined that the probable cause of the crash was failures by the air traffic controllers at RDU, combined with the inability of the two crews to see the other aircraft.[141]
On Wednesday, November 12, 1975, Eastern Air Lines Flight 576, a Boeing 727-225, crashed while attempting to land on runway 23 (now runway 23 Left). The aircraft hit the ground 282 feet (86 m) short of the runway and bounced back into the air before coming down on the runway and sliding 4,150 feet (1,260 m) down the runway, stopping where the south end of Terminal 1 is today. Of the 139 persons on the flight, eight were injured, one seriously. The NTSB investigation initially blamed the crash on "the pilot's failure to execute a missed approach when he lost sight of the runway environment in heavy rain below decision height." The accident report and probable cause were later revised to include the influence of undetected wind shear.[142] The aircraft (Boeing 727-225, N8838E) sustained major damage and was moved to an area on the north end of closed runway 18. A temporary structure was built around the aircraft, which was eventually repaired and returned to service.
On December 31, 1986, a passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 1502 was wounded after a local hunter fired his rifle from the ground into the airframe of the landing aircraft. Robert Raymond Proulx fired a bullet through the fuselage, wounding a passenger (Barry Rollins) in the thigh and the cheek as the projectile ricocheted inside the cabin.[143][144][145]
On February 19, 1988,AVAir Flight 3378, aFairchild Swearingen Metroliner was on a regularly scheduled flight between Raleigh andRichmond operating forAmerican Eagle when it crashed into a reservoir about a mile from the airport in the vicinity ofCary. The aircraft had 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.
On December 13, 1994,American Eagle Flight 3379 operated by AMR's regional airlineFlagship Airlines,[146] aJetstream 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 ofMorrisville. Of the 20 onboard (18 passengers and two crewmembers) 15 were killed while the five 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.[147]
On July 31, 2000, a Win Win Aviationde Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter crashed on approach nearly two miles SSW of RDU on a positioning flight due to fog and darkness. The pilot was not instrument rated to fly in bad weather. One crewmember out of the three occupants died.[148]
On October 20, 2019, aPiper PA-32 crashed in a wooded area ofUmstead State Park on approach to runway 32. Both occupants of the plane died.[149]
On July 29, 2022, aCASA C-212 Aviocar fromRaeford West Airport made an emergency landing and subsequently slid off runway 23L due to its lack of right landing gear. On approach, the 23-year old co-pilot, Charles Hew Crooks, exited the plane overFuquay-Varina and subsequently died. The pilot was transported to the hospital with minor injuries as the result of a rough landing.[150][151]
^Ohnesorge, Lauren."Why Raleigh-Durham International Airport needs a new GlaxoSmithKline".Triangle Business Journal.Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. RetrievedOctober 7, 2018.When American Airlines (NYSE: AAL) decided to take a bet on a nonstop flight from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to London decades ago, it was because of one company: Glaxo – now called GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE: GSK).
GoTriangle:RDU, 100
.svg)
Atlanta, Georgia
Charlotte, North Carolina
Orlando, Florida
Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas
Chicago–O'Hare, Illinois
New York–LaGuardia, New York
Boston, Massachusetts
Denver, Colorado
Paris–Charles de Gaulle, France
35.69%
London–Heathrow, United Kingdom
1
Toronto–Pearson, Canada
Reykjavík–Keflavík, Iceland
Frankfurt, Germany
Panama City–Tocumen, Panama
Mexico City, Mexico
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Montego Bay, Jamaica
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
