Travelers Encouraged to Book Parking in Advance, Arrive Early:

RDU expects more than 150,000 passengers to fly through the airport over Labor Day weekend, compared to 128,000 passengers over the same weekend in 2021. That is a 17% year-over-year increase. The busiest day will be Friday, Sept. 2 with an estimated 32,700 travelers. 

“RDU airport has set pandemic-era records for passenger traffic throughout the busy summer travel season,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority. “We expect to close strong as families take their last vacations before students return to school.” 

The summer season is the busiest time of year at RDU, beginning with Memorial Day weekend and traditionally wrapping up around Labor Day. RDU expects a temporary decrease in traffic until the Thanksgiving and winter holidays. 

Travel Tips: Travelers should arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights and three hours early for international flights to park, check in and get to their gate. RDU recommends booking parking at least 24 hours in advance at ParkRDU.com for guaranteed entry into the deck or lot of their choice at the lowest available rate. To help reduce congestion on the curb, arriving passengers can be picked up on either level of Terminal 2.   

Road Work: Airport guests and employees who use Park Economy 3 should allow extra travel time over Labor Day weekend. National Guard Drive is being repaved from Aviation Parkway to Haleys Branch Road. Drivers may experience brief delays while traffic is temporarily limited to one-way.