Today Marks 50th Anniversary of First Flight from RDU
Delta Air Lines celebrated 50 years of service at RDU today. The airline’s first flight from the Triangle was an 89-passenger Douglas DC-9-32 jet, called the “Super DC-9,” that departed RDU for Chicago-O’Hare on June 15, 1970. Since then, RDU has become one of Delta’s largest non-hub airports, with up to 81 flights per day to 31 destinations worldwide.*
“Delta is an integral part of the tremendous growth RDU has experienced over the past 50 years,” said Michael Landugth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “We are proud of our strong partnership with Delta and its commitment to connecting our guests to the people and places that matter most.”
Delta has dramatically grown its presence in the Triangle over the past five decades and more than doubled its service from RDU since 2010, adding 20 additional destinations and more than 25,000 weekly seats. In 2019, Delta added new nonstop service from RDU to Chicago O’Hare, Jacksonville, New Orleans and Pittsburgh.
“For 50 years, Delta has connected RDU to the world and strengthened our commitment to the region through investments at the airport and in the community,” said David Stratchko, Delta’s director of sales for the region. “As we celebrate this milestone, we have great hope for a strong economic recovery and the continued honor of providing the Triangle communities with safe, reliable and clean service for years to come.”