RDU Airport, NC – Independence Air has announced it will cease operations nationwide after 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 5. However, Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) customers who planned to fly with Independence Air after Jan. 5 should note that they have several travel options after that date.

The airline is contacting customers who have already departed and have return tickets dated after Jan. 5. The company is encouraging customers to return on an earlier flight offered by the airline.

According to the Independence Air Web site, the company is seeking bankruptcy court approval to automatically refund customers with reservations for flights scheduled to depart beyond 7 p.m. on Jan. 5. No refunds will be offered for free tickets or vouchers.

Finally, passengers should note that under section 145 of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, Congress has obligated U.S. airlines to offer stand-by transportation to passengers holding un-refunded tickets for airlines that have ceased operations due to insolvency or bankruptcy.

The Act stipulates that passengers must make their request to carriers serving the same routes as the bankrupt carrier and must do so within 60 days of the cessation of service. The U.S. Department of Transportation has ruled that airlines who offer the stand-by transportation may charge passengers $50 one-way per person to cover related expenses.

RDU offers several options for flying to the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. United Express offers seven daily flights to Washington Dulles, which is the airport that Independence Air’s three daily flights served. American Airlines, U.S. Airways and U.S. Airways Express serve Washington National with 15 total daily flights, and Southwest Airlines flies to the Baltimore-Washington airport six times daily.

For more detailed information, visit Independence Air’s Web site: http://www.flyi.com.

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