RDU Offering Incentives to Recruit New International Flights
RDU saw higher than expected passenger traffic in September, with 802,000 total passengers flying through the airport. That number was 8% above the forecast due to an unexpected increase in traffic.
“Passenger traffic at RDU outpaced the national recovery in September, which is a really great sign for our market,” said Michael Landguth, president & CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “The trends we’ve seen over the past few months indicate RDU is in a good position to continue down the runway to recovery.”
Declining COVID mortality rates in the U.S. continue to correlate with increased airline ticket sales. The last few weeks of data suggest the industry is returning to the stable recovery that preceded the Delta variant.
Sustainability Management Plan (SMP): Members of the public are invited to an upcoming SMP public engagement virtual meeting on Oct. 27 from 6 – 7:30 p.m. The Airport Authority will brief the public on the status of the SMP and provide an opportunity for participants to ask questions and complete an online feedback survey. Comments gathered from the virtual event will help inform the SMP, which is expected to be completed next summer.
Air Service Development: The Airport Authority announced Thursday a new air service development program aimed at bringing more international flights to RDU. The program would provide financial incentives for airlines to launch new nonstop international service from RDU. Adding new international destinations will improve connectivity because forecasts predict more people will resume international travel in the summer of 2022. Routes that qualify will be nonstop destinations unserved by RDU since 2019 that are at least 1400 nautical miles away.
Parking Rates: The drive-up rate for ParkRDU Central will increase by $1 a day beginning Nov. 1. The increase comes as passenger traffic rises and the garage regularly nears capacity over the weekends and on holidays. ParkRDU Central’s online rate will remain $10 per day for customers who book at least 24 hours in advance at ParkRDU.com. Dynamically adjusting parking fees helps RDU ensure there are enough spaces in the deck or remote lots while maintaining options for a wide range of travelers. The Authority is incrementally recovering parking revenues as traffic recovers after significantly discounting the drive-up and online rates for all open parking facilities at the onset of the pandemic. Parking revenue supports RDU’s operating costs and is reinvested in improving parking facilities and roads, maintaining runways and funding other airport infrastructure projects.